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##@&£*=-,¨ ¨,-=*£&@##
@%~..,,.¨. statuette .¨.,,..~%@
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@¶@£=~,.¨, $£@*@%@§£%£@$£$*-»--=~=»%§@%%%$@%%%@¤£&@ ,¨.,~=£@¶@
#@@&¤§\--¨ ££@§$¤$£* ¨--\§¤&@@#
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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. ,^~=%££@##
£%%=,,.¨¨¨ ¨¨¨.,,=%%£
##¶¤&*\«^. : .^«\*&¤¶##
###§@$;-,, ,,-;$@§###
###&$*\«,, the riverbanks reek of magic. tonight ,,«\*$&###
###@£^==,¨ 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 .~-^†&#@##
##¶§¤$=-,. umbrella which i'm sitting on. .,-=$¤§¶##
##@¤£==~-. .-~==£¤@##
##@§%$;=,. \ .,=;$%§@##
####@*=-^¨ ¨^-=*@####
#@#&&†:-., 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. ¨,»:==†@@£
#@@@*=*~^, ,^~*=*@@@#
##@#§§==., 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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