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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. .,»/§@@#@@
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##§*=~.,¨. 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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