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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. ¨,,¨,~»\*&
###£*%†~^. .^~†%*£###
£#£$†$:~,, * ,,~:$†$£#£
##@¤§*^-,¨ ¨,-^*§¤@##
#@£¤&=;»-¨ 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. ..¨¨«§*££#
##==~«¨.,, ,,.¨«~==##
@#**†~,,¨¨ 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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