..^=\=$¤¶@                                          @¶¤$=\=^..
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,¨,.~:%¤££                                          ££¤%:~.,¨,
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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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