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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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