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¨,«~«*^&££                                          ££&^*«~«,¨
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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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