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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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