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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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