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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. .,^:~~**%#
####£§:»^. .^»:§£####
£@^~~.,¨.¨ 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. ¨~~:%%&###
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###£$†:-:. my mom is here now. i ask her for some .:-:†$£###
#@@§$*:=-, particle board for it to dry on, but ,-=:*$§@@#
#@¶¤$†=--¨ she is worried and wants me to ¨--=†$¤¶@#
¤¤:»...¨.¨ throw it away. ¨.¨...»:¤¤
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