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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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&*¤^*††«,. = .,«††*^¤*&
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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. .,=*%§¤@##
##@£*†=»,¨ ¨,»=†*£@##
###&&§*~~¨ 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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