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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 #§@&%†*«..
..~*$%¤¶##                river bed.                ##¶¤%$*~..
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,.,,.,^†$&                     :                    &$†^,.,,.,
,.~;†%££##                                          ##££%†;~.,
.,~=;*%@@# 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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