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,,,,:»^£§#                                          #§£^»:,,,,
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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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