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..,,,=;*^§                statuette                 §^*;=,,,..
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¨:-†=$¤### @@@£§%@£§%£$&§§@~«-~=«~=£$£¤%&&%§£¤$%§£% ###¤$=†-:¨
..-†%&§&@#                 £*$¤%&*¤%                #@&§&%†-..
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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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