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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, ¶@¶@%$†~~.
¨¨.,~†*%&¤   roughly seven centimeters long. it's   ¤&%*†~,.¨¨
¨,¨..,=-%& freshly made, not yet  completely dried. &%-=,..¨,¨
,.¨..»=^&£                                          £&^=»..¨.,
.~»/=@#&&¤ my mom is here now.  i ask her  for some ¤&&#@=/»~.
.,.:***&@@ particle  board  for it to  dry on,  but @@&***:.,.
¨~=^*£§@@# she   is   worried   and  wants   me  to #@@§£*^=~¨
¨,¨¨¨¨«:*£              throw it away.              £*:«¨¨¨¨,¨
,,::.\=%£§                                          §£%=\.::,,
¨-»\%££###                                          ###££%\»-¨
,~-;%&@@##                                          ##@@&%;-~,
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.:»†%$§¶@#                                          #@¶§$%†»:.
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