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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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###&&§*-., 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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