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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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