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,,,.,,,:$@                 statuette                @$:,,,.,,,
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,¨.¨...-*£ @$%@*$&£$$£@@%£&-~==~=»«$£££§&¤£$@%&*£%£ £*-...¨.¨,
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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.              #@#§$§†»:,
¨,,.~~†%†§                                          §†%†~~.,,¨
¨^«^$$¤¶##                                          ##¶¤$$^«^¨
,--;^$§¶£@                                          @£¶§$^;--,
¨,«†*%#¶@@                                          @@¶#%*†«,¨
,....»*£@@                                          @@£*»....,
.^~^=$@£@¶                                          ¶@£@$=^~^.