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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. ,¨.,,.~**&
¶££¤§^:-^, ,^-:^§¤££¶
##@&§*^--. 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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