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.¨,^«;§$@£                statuette                 £@$§;«^,¨.
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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.                #@§£%;~:¨.
,.~=%@¤£##                                          ##£¤@%=~.,
,¨,~/*§£##                    :                     ##£§*/~,¨,
,¨¨,«;*¤§¶                                          ¶§¤*;«,¨¨,
,¨,..»=%%¤ 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. #¶£%§*»,..
¨,~=$££¶@#                                          #@¶££$=~,¨
¨.,-/=*£@# 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. #&=^~:.¨.¨
.,,-»\%£¤¶                                          ¶¤£%\»-,,.
¨,.~:†£#@#                     :                    #@#£†:~.,¨
,:«^*£&###                                          ###&£*^«:,
,¨,»\†$&¶# i am not followed, and slow down  in the #¶&$†\»,¨,
¨,,^~\*@¤@ 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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