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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 ¨,..~*%$¤#
#£¤%%^~-¨¨ ground, in shoulder-high grass, with an ¨¨-~^%%¤£#
##@££§:»:, orange tin radio and a translucent ,:»:§££@##
@@¤%*:~:,¨ umbrella which i'm sitting on. ¨,:~:*%¤@@
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#¶&%%;».,. somethings moving in the grass. it's .,.»;%%&¶#
£&¤=\-:¨,, invisible to my eyes but i can feel ,,¨:-\=¤&£
@¶#@§†~:¨, through the ground just how large it is. ,¨:~†§@#¶@
#@£@£%:»,. .,»:%£@£@#
#¶#*$;-.,, 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 .¨..~^*$@@
##@%%*~:,. other belongings. .,:~*%%@##
##£&¤†/~,. .,~/†¤&£##
@#&$§=-.,, 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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