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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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