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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 .¨,~«†$$§@
&£§^«.¨.,¨ through light, horsemint on the rocky ¨,.¨.«^§£&
§$†»:¨,,,¨ river bed. ¨,,,¨:»†$§
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#¤£%\-:..¨ : ¨..:-\%£¤#
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##££§%;=-, the riverbanks reek of magic. tonight ,-=;%§££##
@@#%*:»:¨¨ they had been a swampworld with sylvan ¨¨:»:*%#@@
#££=:=:,,, water, stone rings and floating moss. ,,,:=:=££#
#$$/=.,¨.. 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. ,¨¨,¨,~:*%
§@$†«^¨,., ,.,¨^«†$@§
@££=^=,,,, 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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