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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. .,=;^£§@##
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###£$^*~~, but now i'm further back, on solid ,~~*^$£###
####&$\-., ground, in shoulder-high grass, with an ,.-\$###
#¤%;--^.,. orange tin radio and a translucent .,.^--;%¤#
##@&&*^«.. umbrella which i'm sitting on. ..«^*&&@##
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£%*~--,,.. = ..,,--~*%£
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###¤¤§*»:. somethings moving in the grass. it's .:»*§¤¤###
£##¤@*^~.¨ invisible to my eyes but i can feel ¨.~^*@¤##£
@%=^~..¨.. through the ground just how large it is. ..¨..~^=%@
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@&§^\»¨.,, the soil is muddy. i slip when trying ,,.¨»\^§&@
##@£$%\»-. to get up, still looking at the .-»\%$£@##
@@£$;-¨,¨¨ direction of sound rather than at my ¨¨,¨-;$£@@
##@¤$%=~.. hands, who are busy putting things in ..~=%$¤@##
#@*^†,¨... my pockets. ...¨,†^*@#
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####$*^~,. 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. ,^»^*£¤@##
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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. ¨¨¨,,†@¤¤@
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##@¶@%*=,. 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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