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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 ..«†%&#¶##
@##&$=^~~¨ river bed. ¨~~^=$&##@
@%/;~~..¨¨ ¨¨..~~;/%@
§^$/~-«..¨ ; ¨..«-~/$^§
@&*;:=-... ...-=:;*&@
@@$;--~¨.. the riverbanks reek of magic. tonight ..¨~--;$@@
££§^»¨.¨¨¨ 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. .^,=~=*£##
###§£§;~~. .~~;§£§###
§¤&$=*;~^¨ = ¨^~;*=$&¤§
#@#&$^;=,¨ ¨,=;^$&#@#
£%=;-.,.¨¨ 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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