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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. ,^=\§@####
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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. ,..,,.»%£@
##@#%%^~~¨ ¨~~^%%#@##
###&@%/«,¨ 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. ¨.~;*@§@@@
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#%^~»,,,,, 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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