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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. ¨^~^%¤#@@#
§%~~¨.,¨,¨ ¨,¨,.¨~~%§
##@£¤=;~,¨ 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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