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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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