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##¶§%%=»-¨ $%¤$§%§$@¤%@£$$%~«=«=~=~%¤$¤*%¤§$&¤*@§%% ¨-»=%%§¶##
##£@%^\»,¨ %*%¤$%¤$£ ¨,»\^%@£##
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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. ,^~;§£££¶#
###££§=~~, ,~~=§££###
@§§$%%†»-¨ the soil is muddy. i slip when trying ¨-»†%%$§§@
¶£%¤@%\~^, 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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