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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. £%\«..¨,,.
,,¨,:=*££#                                          #££*=:,¨,,
,..^~,:$&@                     ^                    @&$:,~^..,
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.,=\$$§£## 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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