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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 .,~\=&££##
@$$*^=,,^, bitten. ,^,,=^*$$@
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@%%^~~.,,. 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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