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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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@#£@*~^.,¨ ^ ¨,.^~*@£#@
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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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###@&**»-, = ,-»**&@###
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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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