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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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