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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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