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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. ,^~\*%§@#@
####**:«-. .-«:**####
#§$&%~~,,, but now i'm further back, on solid ,,,~~%&$§#
@$%»~,~^¨, ground, in shoulder-high grass, with an ,¨^~,~»%$@
#@##@$=~., orange tin radio and a translucent ,.~=$@##@#
##¶¤£=/«-. 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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