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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. .¨^«\^$@¶#
¶&%§^~-.¨, ,¨.-~^§%&¶
#@§$§*«-.¨ : ¨.-«*§$§@#
#@@¤£**~^, ,^~**£¤@@#
##@%†/=:¨. the riverbanks reek of magic. tonight .¨:=/†%@##
@¤*^;=-¨., they had been a swampworld with sylvan ,.¨-=;^*¤@
@@££**»-,, water, stone rings and floating moss. ,,-»**££@@
#@#§¤*;»:¨ you could've found me wallowing around ¨:»;*¤§#@#
@#¤£%=--., on the southern shores until i got ,.--=%£¤#@
@£%§=«-,.. bitten. ..,-«=§%£@
@££§%;«.,, ,,.«;%§££@
#@@&%%=~,. but now i'm further back, on solid .,~=%%&@@#
@@§¤%/~:¨¨ ground, in shoulder-high grass, with an ¨¨:~/%¤§@@
£§§%*».¨¨. orange tin radio and a translucent .¨¨.»*%§§£
##§@$:~~,, umbrella which i'm sitting on. ,,~~:$@§##
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#£££==~.¨, somethings moving in the grass. it's ,¨.~==£££#
###§¤§†=-¨ invisible to my eyes but i can feel ¨-=†§¤§###
@#£%%=~-,. through the ground just how large it is. .,-~=%%£#@
£&%†^»^.,¨ ¨,.^»^†%&£
@¶@$§\~.¨. 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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