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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 ...,,:«;&§
¶§$^«~¨,¨, freshly made, not yet completely dried. ,¨,¨~«^$§¶
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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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