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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. ¨^«/§%§¶##
£%=«,¨..,, ,,..¨,«=%£
@@£¤%%/»,¨ 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 ¨:~\%@¶###
¤¤£*$==,^¨ through the ground just how large it is. ¨^,==$*£¤¤
@¤@&£%†~:. .:~†%£&@¤@
¤&†/-.,,¨. 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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