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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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##@¤§%=-,. / .,-=%§¤@##
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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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