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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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#£@*†=«-,¨ ¨,-«=†*@£#
#&$*/=^¨¨. the riverbanks reek of magic. tonight .¨¨^=/*$&#
££*/~~,¨.¨ 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 ¨¨..:=^%$@
#§%*†=~,., other belongings. ,.,~=†*%§#
#¶§§§/»-.¨ ¨.-»/§§§¶#
#@¶¤£**-,. it's a statuette of a girl laying naked .,-**£¤¶@#
#@&*%\~.¨. on her stomach, feet in the air, .¨.~\%*&@#
@£%§;~.¨¨, roughly seven centimeters long. it's ,¨¨.~;§%£@
§£%;«..,.. freshly made, not yet completely dried. ..,..«;%£§
£§/=.¨.,,, ,,,.¨.=/§£
£$§^~:,¨.¨ 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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