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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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