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¤*/,¨¨¨,¨¨ £§&%&£&*&&@%%*$$«=~»»»~»&@%§§&¤%&%$£$£@& ¨¨,¨¨¨,/*¤
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@§@£%%/~^, forests around my childhood home. thick ,^~/%%£@§@
#§£%^«~,.. pine arcades that were planted and ..,~«^%£§#
##@#$†\~~. forgotten. wild boars roaming .~~\†$#@##
@¤§«...¨.. underneath, sniffing at the ground. it ..¨...«§¤@
#@#@£*†-~¨ is dark and moist, the canopy having ¨~-†*£@#@#
##¶£%%/=^¨ already soaked up all the sun. ¨^=/%%£¶##
¶£=*†/~=:. .:=~/†*=£¶
#£&£%%*-~¨ there's a river passing by, from east ¨~-*%%£&£#
#@†~:¨,.,. to west, getting broader and deeper and .,.,¨:~†@#
##%^«¨,,., slower as it goes. equisetum grow just ,.,,¨«^%##
@£&%†-^,,¨ where the pine hands start to let ¨,,^-†%&£@
###§£%†~:, through light, horsemint on the rocky ,:~†%£§###
##£&§=*~:¨ river bed. ¨:~*=§&£##
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£=»-^,.¨¨¨ / ¨¨¨.,^-»=£
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###@§%*=,, the riverbanks reek of magic. tonight ,,=*%§@###
@£@&¤$\~., they had been a swampworld with sylvan ,.~\$¤&@£@
###£¤*;=:¨ water, stone rings and floating moss. ¨:=;*¤£###
##@#£%*~., you could've found me wallowing around ,.~*%£#@##
#£¶@%%†~:, on the southern shores until i got ,:~†%%@¶£#
###&£^^~,¨ bitten. ¨,~^^£##
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£@$=,¨¨¨¨. but now i'm further back, on solid .¨¨¨¨,=$@£
@#£&%==~:¨ ground, in shoulder-high grass, with an ¨:~==%&£#@
#***~.¨.¨¨ orange tin radio and a translucent ¨¨.¨.~***#
##@£%%/=., umbrella which i'm sitting on. ,.=/%%£@##
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@#@%†/,¨¨, somethings moving in the grass. it's ,¨¨,/†%@#@
##@§@*\«.. invisible to my eyes but i can feel ..«\*@§@##
##¶&@†;~-¨ through the ground just how large it is. ¨-~;†@&¶##
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#££%$~«¨,, the soil is muddy. i slip when trying ,,¨«~$%££#
#£@§$$=~.. to get up, still looking at the ..~=$$§@£#
£$^~.,,,.¨ direction of sound rather than at my ¨.,,,.~^$£
#@@@%=†»:, hands, who are busy putting things in ,:»†=%@@@#
###§£%=-,¨ my pockets. ¨,-=%£§###
#£$**†^~-. .-~^†**$£#
##£§*%==:, then i run east toward my home. ,:==%*§£##
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&*^\..,¨.¨ † ¨.¨,..\^*&
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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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