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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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@£@$$=\~-. * .-~\=$$@£@
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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. ,.=/%%¤#@#
#@£*=:»¨.. ..¨»:=*£@#
#§¤£=/*-~¨ 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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