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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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##¶&£=/«~, = ,~«/=£&¶##
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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, .-~*%*#@@#
¤@&§*$=~,¨ roughly seven centimeters long. it's ¨,~=$*§&@¤
##@§$*^=., freshly made, not yet completely dried. ,.=^*$§@##
##@¤$§\«:¨ ¨:«\§$¤@##
#&:=¨.,¨¨. 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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