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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. ¨,.¨:/^%@¶
###&*^\=^¨ ¨^=\^*&###
#@@£@*;~,, = ,,~;*@£@@#
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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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##£*«,¨¨.¨ ^ ¨.¨¨,«*£##
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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. .,¨..:~**#
###§§*/«,¨ ¨,«/*§§###
&%%~.,.¨¨¨ 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. ,-~*†£@#@#
@&$§%†/-,¨ ¨,-/†%§$&@
#@##%=:-., 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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