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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 $%†~~¨¨,..
.¨¨.,.,»/%                river bed.                %/»,.,.¨¨.
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.¨,¨,-:§£¤                     :                    ¤£§:-,¨,¨.
,.¨^-\%$@#                                          #@$%\-^¨.,
,¨~»:*£@## the  riverbanks  reek of magic.  tonight ##@£*:»~¨,
,~=**£¤£## they had  been a swampworld  with sylvan ##£¤£**=~,
.,,=/%@¤@# water, stone  rings and  floating  moss. #@¤@%/=,,.
¨..^=†^§@# you  could've found me wallowing  around #@§^†=^..¨
¨,...-;$£¤ on  the  southern  shores  until  i  got ¤£$;-...,¨
,,...-»\%$                 bitten.                  $%\»-...,,
..,,.¨,-\%                                          %\-,¨.,,..
..¨¨,^~†=¤ but  now  i'm  further  back,  on  solid ¤=†~^,¨¨..
.¨.¨:=:*£¤ ground, in  shoulder-high grass, with an ¤£*:=:¨.¨.
¨,.,~:=@§£ orange  tin  radio  and   a  translucent £§@=:~,.,¨
¨.,»^§@§##      umbrella which i'm sitting on.      ##§@§^»,.¨
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¨¨,»†$%&¶#                     *                    #¶&%$†»,¨¨
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¨,,.^~/%£§ somethings  moving  in the  grass.  it's §£%/~^.,,¨
¨.,..,-\*% invisible to  my eyes  but  i  can  feel %*\-,..,.¨
..¨,,¨.=†^ through the ground just how large it is. ^†=.¨,,¨..
¨,,.,^«;=%                                          %=;«^,.,,¨
¨¨..^«/%*§ the  soil is muddy. i  slip  when trying §*%/«^..¨¨
¨¨,,«^*$@¶ 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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