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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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