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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. ¨,~/†*¤¶##
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@@£&$†*«,. but now i'm further back, on solid .,«*†$&£@@
##@#£%:=-, 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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