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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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