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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.      ¶%%\~..,¨.
,.-:/=*¤&¶                                          ¶&¤*=/:-.,
,¨¨^:†**§£                    :                     £§**†:^¨¨,
,-=:%*&###                                          ###&*%:=-,
.¨,^†§=%=& 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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