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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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