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