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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. .,=:=&#¶##
#&@§§%;»^, ,^»;%§§@&#
##%†~^^,,, 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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