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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. ,,,¨:,\;*#
##£@@%/~,, ,,~/%@@£##
##£&%$:~,, = ,,~:$%&£##
####&*:«-, ,-«:*&####
#£#%†~.,,, 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 ..»†$*@###
#@¶£%**»,¨ umbrella which i'm sitting on. ¨,»**%£¶@#
#¶@#@=;»,. .,»;=@#@¶#
#§%*^$^~,¨ : ¨,~^$^*%§#
#@%$*:,,¨, ,¨,,:*$%@#
#*$-¨..¨., 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 ,^~**$£###
§¤*-,¨.¨,. radio (now dented) but also a small .,¨.¨,-*¤§
##£@§*=~.. clay figure i've never seen before. it ..~=*§@£##
#@#§¤*^«,. must have been laying in the wet dirt, .,«^*¤§#@#
##£&&§^~-. and i must've picked it up with my .-~^§&&£##
###§**/»-. other belongings. .-»/**§###
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##@¤*%=«~¨ it's a statuette of a girl laying naked ¨~«=%*¤@##
##¶&@§=«.. on her stomach, feet in the air, ..«=§@&¶##
#@@§@^:~:, roughly seven centimeters long. it's ,:~:^@§@@#
¶*^-»«,,,. freshly made, not yet completely dried. .,,,«»-^*¶
###§*$*~,. .,~*$*§###
##@@¤%:«-. my mom is here now. i ask her for some .-«:%¤@@##
&*=:^.,,¨, particle board for it to dry on, but ,¨,,.^:=*&
&@=\~,.¨,¨ she is worried and wants me to ¨,¨.,~\=@&
¶#%=:«,^., throw it away. ,.^,«:=%#¶
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£&¤@§$*»,¨ ¨,»*$§@¤&£
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