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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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¨¨,=**£@@#                                          #@@£**=,¨¨
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