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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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