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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. .,..=:††¤¤
###£&**^,, ,,^**&£###
#@@¤&%:~.. / ..~:%&¤@@#
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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. ,.-\%&¶###
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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 .,~/*§§@##
#&§$%%*-,¨ other belongings. ¨,-*%%$§&#
##£&%%/=,¨ ¨,=/%%&£##
¤£%†-».,,¨ 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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