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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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#@¶¤£†\~^.                                          .^~\†£¤¶@#