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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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