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.¨.,»=%$¤¶                statuette                 ¶¤$%=»,.¨.
.,,~\§¤@¶#                                          #¶@¤§\~,,.
,,~=^&&£## ¤$§¤%%@*£$§££%@§»«=~--=»&$%¤§§*$£§%&@@¤& ##£&&^=~,,
:-*§£#####                %*@$%%*%%                 #####£§*-:
¨,~\*%§¶@#                                          #@¶§%*\~,¨
.¨^-:†££## forests  around my childhood home. thick ##££†:-^¨.
¨¨.~«^%&¤@ pine  arcades  that   were  planted  and @¤&%^«~.¨¨
¨¨,¨,-*§¤¤       forgotten. wild boars roaming      ¤¤§*-,¨,¨¨
¨¨¨,=^^£## underneath,  sniffing at the ground.  it ##£^^=,¨¨¨
,.:=^%$§£@ 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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