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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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##¶@£†:~,. = .,~:†£@¶##
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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. .-«\*&&###
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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 ,~-†**¤@##
#¶§$$;=~¨. on her stomach, feet in the air, .¨~=;$$§¶#
@§$%†»,,.¨ roughly seven centimeters long. it's ¨.,,»†%$§@
#@£%$\~^., freshly made, not yet completely dried. ,.^~\$%£@#
#@#@¤*†«^¨ ¨^«†*¤@#@#
#@£§^:~~¨¨ my mom is here now. i ask her for some ¨¨~~:^§£@#
#@&†;»-.,, particle board for it to dry on, but ,,.-»;†&@#
#£&@%=»,¨¨ she is worried and wants me to ¨¨,»=%@&£#
###£$†^~,. throw it away. .,~^†$£###
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