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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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