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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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##¶@$=\-,¨ \ ¨,-\=$@¶##
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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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