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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 ,,¨,,,:*§#
¶£§£$**-:¨ river bed. ¨:-**$£§£¶
#@@#%$*=~, ,~=*$%#@@#
###££†\~,. ; .,~\†££###
##¶@%=^«-, ,-«^=%@¶##
@@@&%§*«-, 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 .-~=~†=£#@
##@£$*†»,, bitten. ,,»†*$£@##
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@%^-,.,,,¨ 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 ,^»=†$&@##
#¶&/~¨¨¨¨. other belongings. .¨¨¨¨~/&¶#
#@#&$§:=.. ..=:§$&#@#
####**=«,. it's a statuette of a girl laying naked .,«=**####
#@£@$%^~.¨ 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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