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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 .,,.,:;$@¶
¤*%/:,.¨.. through the ground just how large it is. ..¨.,:/%*¤
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####*^\-:¨ the soil is muddy. i slip when trying ¨:-\^*####
##=**...,, to get up, still looking at the ,,...**=##
##@&%*;«,. direction of sound rather than at my .,«;*%&@##
#%&^:¨,,,. hands, who are busy putting things in .,,,¨:^&%#
@%%-¨.,,,, my pockets. ,,,,.¨-%%@
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###§@§;=-¨ then i run east toward my home. ¨-=;§@§###
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####£%^~., i am not followed, and slow down in the ,.~^%£####
@*=..,,,¨¨ clearing where you at first can spot ¨¨,,,..=*@
##@££$*~,¨ 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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