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¨:~/%$&£@#                                          #@£&$%/~:¨
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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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..,¨¨./@£@                                          @£@/.¨¨,..
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