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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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