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##%$*»~.¨. £§£*$@*¤£ .¨.~»*$%##
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¤¤&$=¨¨,.. forests around my childhood home. thick ..,¨¨=$&¤¤
#$%†=~~--¨ pine arcades that were planted and ¨--~~=†%$#
£#&=*»~¨., forgotten. wild boars roaming ,.¨~»*=&#£
£^††~^~,¨. underneath, sniffing at the ground. it .¨,~^~††^£
§$%$†-^¨., is dark and moist, the canopy having ,.¨^-†$%$§
@@£*^:.... already soaked up all the sun. ....:^*£@@
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####%^*=~¨ there's a river passing by, from east ¨~=*^%####
#@§*†\;~.. to west, getting broader and deeper and ..~;\†*§@#
###¤£*:»,¨ slower as it goes. equisetum grow just ¨,»:*£¤###
@@%£%=;»~, where the pine hands start to let ,~»;=%£%@@
£&§¤£^*»., through light, horsemint on the rocky ,.»*^£¤§&£
#&/*;\:,¨. river bed. .¨,:\;*/&#
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#@#§%=/»^. = .^»/=%§#@#
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###@¤$†»^¨ 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. ¨:«**%@£@@
@§=-,,,,.. ..,,,,-=§@
#@#@£%*~~¨ 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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