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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. ,¨.-=*%¤##
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@£$§^=,.,¨ but now i'm further back, on solid ¨,.,=^§$£@
##@§**=,¨¨ 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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##¤£**~^¨¨ : ¨¨^~**£¤##
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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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