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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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