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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. ¨,,.~»»~*#
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##¶#§§/«^¨ = ¨^«/§§#¶##
###¶$%:~.. ..~:%$¶###
#@££§%^~~¨ somethings moving in the grass. it's ¨~~^%§££@#
@§&:^*-,,¨ invisible to my eyes but i can feel ¨,,-*^:&§@
#¤$£$$:~.¨ through the ground just how large it is. ¨.~:$$£$¤#
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£$«~»~¨¨., 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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