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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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,^»=%%#£@#                                          #@£#%%=»^,
.:~:%§&#@#                                          #@#&§%:~:.