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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 ¨..,.,/$¶@
@£¶§&^:-,. slower as it goes. equisetum grow just .,-:^&§¶£@
##@@%*\».¨ where the pine hands start to let ¨.»\*%@@##
@§@£§§\«,, through light, horsemint on the rocky ,,«\§§£@§@
###&%†:«.¨ river bed. ¨.«:†%&###
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@££&%†/~., the riverbanks reek of magic. tonight ,.~/†%&££@
##@&$%=»,. 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. ¨^»/^*$%§#
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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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