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###@%$†-,. %§§&¤££%* .,-†$%@###
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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 .,=*^@££##
@&¤*$;=-~¨ my pockets. ¨~-=;$*¤&@
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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. ,^=\=$¤@@#
##@£@$\-~, ,~-\$@£@##
#£#**===~. 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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