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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 ¨~«^=¤¤@@@
##£@$†\~.¨      umbrella which i'm sitting on.      ¨.~\†$@£##
#£@§@%=»-¨                                          ¨-»=%@§@£#
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###&¤*;«-, 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. ¨,..†^£%§@
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##@¶&%^*~, 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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