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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.                ,^~†§*####
§*@*=,:.¨¨                                          ¨¨.:,=*@*§
#@¶¤*%;=-,                     :                    ,-=;%*¤¶@#
#@^%=»,.,,                                          ,,.,»=%^@#
#@#&§$:=,¨ the riverbanks  reek  of  magic. tonight ¨,=:$§&#@#
#@^«,¨,.¨¨ 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 ¨,~;=@@@##
#@#&$†*~:. radio  (now  dented)  but  also  a small .:~*†$&#@#
###&@$\~,¨ clay  figure i've never seen before.  it ¨,~\$@&###
#£@&%^:»,¨ must have been  laying in the wet  dirt, ¨,»:^%&@£#
§§*=^,¨.,. and  i  must've  picked  it up  with  my .,.¨,^=*§§
@#£@%=†~,,            other belongings.             ,,~†=%@£#@
@£&¤§\~-,¨                                          ¨,-~\§¤&£@
¶¶#*†=/«~, it's a  statuette of a girl laying naked ,~«/=†*#¶¶
##¶&$%=»~¨ 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 .,¨,^~;%$@
##@£&†;«-¨ she   is  worried   and  wants   me   to ¨-«;†&£@##
&&¤£;^»¨,,              throw it away.              ,,¨»^;£¤&&
§†*^~,¨,¨,                                          ,¨,¨,~^*†§
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#@&\~-,,¨.                                          .¨,,-~\&@#
#@#¤$%*~:,                                          ,:~*%$¤#@#