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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.              #&£¤§†/»,.
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