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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 .¨.,¨,~*=£
##@&¤$/=:. through the ground just how large it is. .:=/$¤&@##
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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. ,.»:^£@@##
#£@£$%^»:¨ ¨:»^%$£@£#
#@@#%$^~~¨ my mom is here now. i ask her for some ¨~~^$%#@@#
#¶¤¤§*:=:¨ particle board for it to dry on, but ¨:=:*§¤¤¶#
#@@&@**~-¨ she is worried and wants me to ¨-~**@&@@#
##@&$$^~:¨ throw it away. ¨:~^$$&@##
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