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###@£&†-,, statuette ,,-†&£@###
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###§§=:»-. %%$¤£%%§£ .-»:=§§###
##@¤@*;~,, ,,~;*@¤@##
####¤§†-., forests around my childhood home. thick ,.-†§¤####
##@¤&**=,, pine arcades that were planted and ,,=**&¤@##
#¶£$§*;-,. forgotten. wild boars roaming .,-;*§$£¶#
@£¤§\«»-.. underneath, sniffing at the ground. it ..-»«\§¤£@
##£@$*;~:. is dark and moist, the canopy having .:~;*$@£##
#@@#$%†«,, already soaked up all the sun. ,,«†%$#@@#
£@@£&§*~,¨ ¨,~*§&£@@£
#&==~---^, there's a river passing by, from east ,^---~==&#
#@#&£$:».¨ to west, getting broader and deeper and ¨.»:$£&#@#
@#&:^†.¨¨. slower as it goes. equisetum grow just .¨¨.†^:&#@
@#@&&*/=.. where the pine hands start to let ..=/*&&@#@
#§¤%:===,, through light, horsemint on the rocky ,,===:%¤§#
##¶§£$*«:, river bed. ,:«*$£§¶##
##@§@^^~~¨ ¨~~^^@§@##
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##@£¤*†~:. the riverbanks reek of magic. tonight .:~†*¤£@##
##@£§%/»~, they had been a swampworld with sylvan ,~»/%§£@##
@%~.¨¨.¨,¨ water, stone rings and floating moss. ¨,¨.¨¨.~%@
#£%=¨¨¨¨,. you could've found me wallowing around .,¨¨¨¨=%£#
##£*..¨,¨, on the southern shores until i got ,¨,¨..*£##
¤@@$$§==., bitten. ,.==§$$@@¤
#¶¤$%;:~~, ,~~:;%$¤¶#
##@#¤%*~:. but now i'm further back, on solid .:~*%¤#@##
#@££$*=»,. ground, in shoulder-high grass, with an .,»=*$££@#
##@§&*:».¨ orange tin radio and a translucent ¨.»:*&§@##
#&*-.¨¨.¨. umbrella which i'm sitting on. .¨.¨¨.-*&#
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#¤§$^\-.¨. = .¨.-\^$§¤#
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@##¤$$^~.. somethings moving in the grass. it's ..~^$$¤##@
#@@§&§;-., invisible to my eyes but i can feel ,.-;§&§@@#
#&@=-:.¨¨. through the ground just how large it is. .¨¨.:-=@&#
#=†§†-:,., ,.,:-†§†=#
#¤@/~,.¨,. the soil is muddy. i slip when trying .,¨.,~/@¤#
##£#%†*»,, to get up, still looking at the ,,»*†%#£##
##@@%^^~~, direction of sound rather than at my ,~~^^%@@##
#§¤$*=~=-. hands, who are busy putting things in .-=~=*$¤§#
####£*:~-. my pockets. .-~:*£####
###£§$†»:. .:»†$§£###
@@$$*;,¨¨¨ then i run east toward my home. ¨¨¨,;*$$@@
#@##%%:-^. .^-:%%##@#
#@#¤§%*«., = ,.«*%§¤#@#
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#=-,,¨..¨¨ i am not followed, and slow down in the ¨¨..¨,,-=#
###¶§=\~,¨ clearing where you at first can spot ¨,~\=§¶###
##@¶§£*\«^ the house, not yet really in the ^«\*£§¶@##
####£*†»,, backyard. from my pockets i retrieve my ,,»†*£####
##£@%$*~,¨ radio (now dented) but also a small ¨,~*$%@£##
##@££=†»,. clay figure i've never seen before. it .,»†=££@##
@#£&%*\»~, must have been laying in the wet dirt, ,~»\*%&£#@
£¤$=^,,¨¨. and i must've picked it up with my .¨¨,,^=$¤£
#@##*$†«,¨ other belongings. ¨,«†$*##@#
#@#@¤$/=,. .,=/$¤@#@#
#§&*;-^:,. it's a statuette of a girl laying naked .,:^-;*&§#
##@¶£%%*=^ on her stomach, feet in the air, ^=*%%£¶@##
#@#@¤§=»-, roughly seven centimeters long. it's ,-»=§¤@#@#
¤$&&*^~.,¨ freshly made, not yet completely dried. ¨,.~^*&&$¤
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@¤&/:«^,., my mom is here now. i ask her for some ,.,^«:/&¤@
##£#*^^»-. particle board for it to dry on, but .-»^^*#£##
###££$;~-, she is worried and wants me to ,-~;$££###
###¤@%;«^. throw it away. .^«;%@¤###
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