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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. ¨~===£&¶@#
##@§¤*/~,¨ ¨,~/*¤§@##
###@*$†»,. it's a statuette of a girl laying naked .,»†$*@###
##££¤%†~~¨ 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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