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...,=^*$@@                 statuette                @@$*^=,...
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,,¨.¨,~*†@ §¤@@§%**$$@&%@$%-«»«=~-~@&%£¤¤$§%$£$%$%§ @†*~,¨.¨,,
,.,,.,~«=§                @*§%£¤*&%                 §=«~,.,,.,
¨,,.¨~-:%$                                          $%:-~¨.,,¨
,¨..,-/*¤& forests around  my childhood home. thick &¤*/-,..¨,
,¨.,~=%%#@ pine  arcades  that  were  planted   and @#%%=~,.¨,
.¨,~;^£¤##      forgotten. wild boars roaming       ##¤£^;~,¨.
¨,~=^£§@## underneath, sniffing at  the ground.  it ##@§£^=~,¨
¨¨.~†=£&@# is dark  and  moist,  the  canopy having #@&£=†~.¨¨
,,¨-~\%*§¶ already   soaked   up   all   the   sun. ¶§*%\~-¨,,
..¨¨:~/%££                                          ££%/~:¨¨..
,¨¨..~=;*% there's  a river passing  by,  from east %*;=~..¨¨,
¨,,,.,-»*= to west, getting broader and deeper  and =*»-,.,,,¨
,,¨¨,~-^%$ 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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,.¨¨.,^~\†                                          †\~^,.¨¨.,