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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.      ##@%%~,¨¨¨
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¨^~^=££###                    ;                     ###££=^~^¨
.,=~\\:/£#                                          #£/:\\~=,.
¨:~†=¤¤@## 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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