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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 ,«=$£@####
##@#§†*«,¨ bitten. ¨,«*†§#@##
@##£%*/=,. .,=/*%£##@
#%^..~,.,, but now i'm further back, on solid ,,.,~..^%#
&¤%/,,¨,., ground, in shoulder-high grass, with an ,.,¨,,/%¤&
#£*%£%†=:, orange tin radio and a translucent ,:=†%£%*£#
@@^*~~»=,¨ umbrella which i'm sitting on. ¨,=»~~*^@@
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##¶@*†/«:. somethings moving in the grass. it's .:«/†*@¶##
##@£¤%:»,¨ invisible to my eyes but i can feel ¨,»:%¤£@##
¤=;=;«-,¨¨ through the ground just how large it is. ¨¨,-«;=;=¤
#@#£§§/».. ..»/§§£#@#
##£@£†^-.. the soil is muddy. i slip when trying ..-^†£@£##
#@##£%:-,. to get up, still looking at the .,-:%£##@#
##@£#£^«,, direction of sound rather than at my ,,«^£#£@##
@§%*»,,,,. hands, who are busy putting things in .,,,,»*%§@
##¶££%\~-¨ my pockets. ¨-~\%££¶##
@¤@†=,¨... ...¨,=†@¤@
##£@¤*=~:¨ then i run east toward my home. ¨:~=*¤@£##
#@#££*=~^¨ ¨^~=*££#@#
@§§%:*-¨,. : .,¨-*:%§§@
##@#£§;~:¨ ¨:~;§£#@##
£¤@%:-¨,., i am not followed, and slow down in the ,.,¨-:%@¤£
£@¤£&=*~:. clearing where you at first can spot .:~*=&£¤@£
#@#@§%^~-¨ the house, not yet really in the ¨-~^%§@#@#
###@¤$\~-¨ 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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