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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. ,¨.,^~-:£@
###@£^*«,¨ ¨,«*^£@###
@@&%%$\»-, but now i'm further back, on solid ,-»\$%%&@@
##@¤£%†».. ground, in shoulder-high grass, with an ..»†%£¤@##
#¶#&§^;~:. orange tin radio and a translucent .:~;^§¶#
£@¤^:^.,,. umbrella which i'm sitting on. .,,.^:^¤@£
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@#££^*^»:¨ somethings moving in the grass. it's ¨:»^*^££#@
#@£§¤*:»,. invisible to my eyes but i can feel .,»:*¤§£@#
£@#££%*~,, through the ground just how large it is. ,,~*%££#@£
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####£$=»,, 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. .¨,:~^£¤@#
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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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