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¤$†*-^¨.¨, forests around my childhood home. thick ,¨.¨^-*†$¤
@&§*/»:,¨. pine arcades that were planted and .¨,:»/*§&@
@#§*$\-^.¨ forgotten. wild boars roaming ¨.^-\$*§#@
##¶@%%\-,, underneath, sniffing at the ground. it ,,-\%%@¶##
@#¤**=~:,¨ is dark and moist, the canopy having ¨,:~=**¤#@
##%==«:¨¨¨ already soaked up all the sun. ¨¨¨:«==%##
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¶#$%\~^,.. 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 .,,^~^^$##
@##¤*;=^,. umbrella which i'm sitting on. .,^=;*¤##@
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¤§*/=.,,¨, somethings moving in the grass. it's ,¨,,.=/*§¤
¶&&§^~-¨,, invisible to my eyes but i can feel ,,¨-~^§&&¶
##¤@§†-,,. through the ground just how large it is. .,,-†§@¤##
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###%$=~^., 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. ,,~~^$&@£#
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###£†\«,¨, then i run east toward my home. ,¨,«\†£###
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#£&¤=*»^,, i am not followed, and slow down in the ,,^»*=¤&£#
#@@¤&§=«^, clearing where you at first can spot ,^«=§&¤@@#
#¶&%%=-:.. the house, not yet really in the ..:-=%%&¶#
#££=†«-..¨ backyard. from my pockets i retrieve my ¨..-«†=££#
#%^=»^.,., radio (now dented) but also a small ,.,.^»=^%#
#@$*=~,.,¨ 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. .,«^%¤&@@#
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£@@**~:,¨, 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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