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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. #@@¤£%;«,.
,¨¨¨~:$%@#                                          #@%$:~¨¨¨,
¨,=/%*££##                    *                     ##££*%/=,¨
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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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