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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. .-=^%¤¤#@@
@&@^=.,¨.. ..¨,.=^@&@
##@¶@*\~~. 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. ¨,=/§£#@@#
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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. ¨^»**%&£##
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@§#$::~¨,, my mom is here now. i ask her for some ,,¨~::$#§@
£$\~:.,,,. particle board for it to dry on, but .,,,.:~\$£
###@@¤%\~- she is worried and wants me to -~\%¤@@###
#¤@$==-,,. throw it away. .,,-==$@¤#
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