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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. .-~^$#¶@##
#@¶@£%†«,. .,«†%£@¶@#
&#†\=,,¨¨¨ the soil is muddy. i slip when trying ¨¨¨,,=\†#&
##@££**«^¨ to get up, still looking at the ¨^«**££@##
£#&¤§--,.¨ direction of sound rather than at my ¨.,--§¤&#£
§£&§§*^~~, hands, who are busy putting things in ,~~^*§§&£§
@$%:~¨,.,, 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 ¨.«\%$&###
@&*~.,.¨,, clay figure i've never seen before. it ,,¨.,.~*&@
##¶£&*†«,. must have been laying in the wet dirt, .,«†*&£¶##
####&%^~,, and i must've picked it up with my ,,~^%&####
§@@=*=^¨,¨ other belongings. ¨,¨^=*=@@§
#@¶&$%/-,, ,,-/%$&¶@#
##@§§%^~,. 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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