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¨,-†:;*£@@                statuette                 @@£*;:†-,¨
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¨^~/=%@@## §@£@%%%£@¤$$%$&¤~~»«~=~-*£&@¤££%££££$@§% ##@@%=/~^¨
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.,¨.=»^££# forests  around my childhood home. thick #££^»=.¨,.
.:~;*¤£### pine  arcades  that  were   planted  and ###£¤*;~:.
,~«†%$£##@      forgotten. wild boars roaming       @##£$%†«~,
,,~*$$@#£# 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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