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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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