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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 ,¨¨:~%£&#@
¶¤$=~:,,.¨ already soaked up all the sun. ¨.,,:~=$¤¶
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#@¶§£†=.¨, 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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####§§*».¨ ^ ¨.»*§§####
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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. ,~-§¤@@@##
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#@&$§«:... the soil is muddy. i slip when trying ...:«§$&@#
#£§=~:...¨ to get up, still looking at the ¨...:~=§£#
##@%%-,¨¨. direction of sound rather than at my .¨¨,-%%@##
###@§%»~,. hands, who are busy putting things in .,~»%§@###
###@&&%~^¨ my pockets. ¨^~%&&@###
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#£@&^»:,., 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 ..,»=@@@##
#@@$^»:,¨. other belongings. .¨,:»^$@@#
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@#¤§^-,,,¨ 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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