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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 .,,,¨-*$@@
###§£==-,¨ through the ground just how large it is. ¨,-==£§###
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@¤$=,.,.., 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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