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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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