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.,¨.,¨.=£@                 statuette                @£=.¨,.¨,.
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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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