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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.      ,..¨¨-^$@@
#§$&;*--:.                                          .:--*;&$§#
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###£&$/~.. 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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