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