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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. ¨-»/†&@£@#
@£$~:¨,.¨, ,¨.,¨:~$£@
##%;«.¨.,, = ,,.¨.«;%##
#¶##£†/--¨ ¨--/†£##¶#
#@@£$%^«,, somethings moving in the grass. it's ,,«^%$£@@#
##£§£=:=:. 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. ¨^~\^@&@##
£$*==^.,,. .,,.^==*$£
####£%*=^. † .^=*%£####
##@£@†^--¨ ¨--^†@£@##
&@==-¨¨,.¨ 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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