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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. ¨¨.:^%=¤@#
@¤==:.,,¨, ,¨,,.:==¤@
££†:=,:,,. 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. ,.¨¨¨¨^*£¶
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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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