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@%/~,,¨,¨. $§%$¤£*&% .¨,¨,,~/%@
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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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@£%$^-.¨,, the riverbanks reek of magic. tonight ,,¨.-^$%£@
##¶#£*;~-, 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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