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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. ¨,,~^^%£##
#@@£%%*~~. .~~*%%£@@#
#£¤&%:-:¨¨ 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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