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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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&@§†,¨,.¨¨ 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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