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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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£%$@§/.:., somethings moving in the grass. it's ,.:./§@$%£
####§$;~~¨ invisible to my eyes but i can feel ¨~~;$§####
£*=,¨.¨¨¨. 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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