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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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