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.:«\=$####                statuette                 ####$=\«:.
,^~\*%$&##                                          ##&$%*\~^,
¨,¨-^//%£# @@$%$%££&£&£§¤%*»~»-=«»=%*$£$*%$@$$&¤%@$ #£%//^-¨,¨
.^=«~†*%¤#                 &%§§$@££&                #¤%*†~«=^.
.¨,^^=*^£@                                          @£^*=^^,¨.
¨,~=§$@### forests around my childhood home.  thick ###@$§=~,¨
¨,,,=\/$$¶ pine   arcades  that  were  planted  and ¶$$/\=,,,¨
,¨..-*†*@£      forgotten. wild boars roaming       £@*†*-..¨,
.,~\%£&@## underneath, sniffing  at  the ground. it ##@&£%\~,.
¨:-==*#@## is dark and  moist,  the  canopy  having ##@#*==-:¨
¨¨¨.~**§&@ already   soaked   up   all   the   sun. @&§**~.¨¨¨
,¨:~,/¤£&£                                          £&£¤/,~:¨,
,¨,,,-~~%@ there's a river  passing by,  from  east @%~~-,,,¨,
,^-=^%@### to west, getting  broader and deeper and ###@%^=-^,
¨:»^%¤§¶## slower  as it goes.  equisetum grow just ##¶§¤%^»:¨
¨,=†^&#@## where  the  pine  hands  start   to  let ##@#&^†=,¨
¨:«:%@&$¤@ through light, horsemint  on  the  rocky @¤$&@%:«:¨
¨^«;*$¤¶##                river bed.                ##¶¤$*;«^¨
..~††%£##£                                          £##£%††~..
¨,«/*£¤£@#                     :                    #@£¤£*/«,¨
,:-:^@¤£@#                                          #@£¤@^:-:,
.,~;=§§### the  riverbanks  reek of  magic. tonight ###§§=;~,.
.,.,¨:»†%# they had  been a  swampworld with sylvan #%†»:¨,.,.
.:»:*&@@## water, stone  rings and  floating  moss. ##@@&*:»:.
¨,-†§¤¶### you could've found  me  wallowing around ###¶¤§†-,¨
.,«;$%§### on  the  southern  shores  until  i  got ###§%$;«,.
¨-==^*####                 bitten.                  ####*^==-¨
.,~\*¤@@££                                          ££@@¤*\~,.
¨...»\%%@¶ but  now  i'm  further  back,  on  solid ¶@%%\»...¨
,,-;%*§§$# ground, in shoulder-high grass,  with an #$§§*%;-,,
,.,,,-^§%# orange   tin  radio  and  a  translucent #%§^-,,,.,
.~~=^&&£##      umbrella which i'm sitting on.      ##£&&^=~~.
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,:=;=%#¶##                     ^                    ##¶#%=;=:,
,,~=$$&£##                                          ##£&$$=~,,
,~-\*$£### somethings  moving  in the  grass.  it's ###£$*\-~,
.,,,~~*§*£ invisible  to my eyes  but  i  can  feel £*§*~~,,,.
¨,,,:^/$¤# through the ground just how large it is. #¤$/^:,,,¨
¨,~:%§£###                                          ###£§%:~,¨
,«†*%§¶### 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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