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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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