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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. ¨:~/\§§§%£
&&£^,¨¨,.¨ ¨.,¨¨,^£&&
##¶&@^:~~¨ / ¨~~:^@&¶##
#@#&£*\~.. ..~\*£&#@#
@&†~-..,., 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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