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##@&@§/--. ¤§&$§$**£ .--/§@&@##
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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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#@£§§%/».¨ † ¨.»/%§§£@#
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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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