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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 ##@&*$;-,¨
,¨.,.-«:%& to  get   up,   still  looking   at  the &%:«-.,.¨,
.,,-~=~*@§ direction  of  sound  rather than at  my §@*~=~-,,.
¨.¨,,,-==& hands,  who are  busy  putting things in &==-,,,¨.¨
,¨~-=\=£@#               my pockets.                #@£=\=-~¨,
.,~/=£&#@@                                          @@#&£=/~,.
,,-†*@&@@# then   i  run  east  toward   my   home. #@@&@*†-,,
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,-=:*£&@##                                          ##@&£*:=-,
,,.«-=£&&# i am not followed, and  slow down in the #&&£=-«.,,
¨~~/=£¤@## clearing  where you at  first  can  spot ##@¤£=/~~¨
,..=~*@%¶# the  house,   not  yet   really  in  the #¶%@*~=..,
,¨.¨.^\%%# backyard. from my pockets i  retrieve my #%%\^.¨.¨,
¨-«;^@&### radio (now  dented)  but  also  a  small ###&@^;«-¨
..«\%%£¶#@ clay figure i've never seen  before.  it @#¶£%%\«..
,-=†*§¤### must have been laying in the  wet  dirt, ###¤§*†=-,
...,,¨~%@@ and  i must've  picked  it  up  with  my @@%~¨,,...
,:-;*$£###            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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