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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. ,,~^*£@@##
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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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#£/^,.,¨,, 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 .¨,,.-~†£@
@£@#@$^=^, freshly made, not yet completely dried. ,^=^$@#@£@
#@@§&*\«,¨ ¨,«\*&§@@#
@#=†^^,..¨ 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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