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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.              £@%@$\,.¨¨
,^=\§¤@@##                                          ##@@¤§\=^,
.¨¨¨.«*†¤¤                                          ¤¤†*«.¨¨¨.
,~=\%&££@#                                          #@££&%\=~,
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,,=;*$§¶##                                          ##¶§$*;=,,