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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. .:«†^*#@@@
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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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