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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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