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=~..,,¨.,, £§@££$&$%£&*££%$~==»--~~@$&$$£$£&§$&¤§%$ ,,.¨,,..~=
;»~.,,,¨¨.                 £%%££*%¤&                .¨¨,,,.~»;
%†=.¨,¨,.¨                                          ¨.,¨,¨.=†%
%%†»,...,¨ FORESTS AROUND  MY CHILDHOOD HOME. THICK ¨,...,»†%%
£¤*;»:¨¨., PINE  ARCADES   THAT  WERE  PLANTED  AND ,.¨¨:»;*¤£
@£%†/~-,.,       FORGOTTEN. WILD BOARS ROAMING      ,.,-~/†%£@
##¤$%†~^., UNDERNEATH,  AT THE GROUND SO DARK AFTER ,.^~†%$¤##
#@#&&%*~,¨ THE  CANOPY  HAS  STOLEN  ALL  THE  SUN. ¨,~*%&&#@#
@££%$/~:,¨                                          ¨,:~/$%££@
#@£=^~^.¨, HOWEVER,  THERE'S  A  RIVER  PASSING BY, ,¨.^~^=£@#
§£^;»~¨,¨, FROM EAST  TO WEST,  GETTING BROADER AND ,¨,¨~»;^£§
$^*»,.,.,. DEEPER   AND   SLOWER    AS   IT   GOES. .,.,.,»*^$
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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 HOW ,,.¨¨¨:~;%
£%;~...,,.               LARGE IT IS.               .,,...~;%£
&$%/«.,.¨¨                                          ¨¨.,.«/%$&
£#§^:«-¨¨, THE GROUND  IS MUDDY. I SLIP WHEN TRYING ,¨¨-«:^§#£
@#¤¤%^~~,¨ TO  GET  UP,  STILL   LOOKING   AT   THE ¨,~~^%¤¤#@
##£@£§*«,. DIRECTION OF SOUND  RATHER  AT MY HANDS, .,«*§£@£##
@¶¤$%*-:.¨ WHO  ARE PUTTING  THINGS IN  MY POCKETS. ¨.:-*%$¤¶@
£££$==:..¨                                          ¨..:==$£££
@@$\»,,,,. THEN  I  RUN   EAST   TOWARD  MY   HOME. .,,,,»\$@@
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»:¨.¨¨,.., I AM NOT  FOLLOWED. I  SLOW DOWN  IN THE ,..,¨¨.¨:»
;~,,¨,¨¨.. CLEARING WHERE  YOU  AT  FIRST  SEE  THE ..¨¨,¨,,~;
%*~:,,¨..¨ HOUSE,  NOT  YET REALLY IN THE BACKYARD. ¨..¨,,:~*%
£=*~,¨¨¨., FROM  MY  POCKETS I  RETRIEVE  MY  RADIO ,.¨¨¨,~*=£
&%%†=^,,,, (NOW  DENTED)  BUT  ALSO  A  SMALL  CLAY ,,,,^=†%%&
¶#¤%;--.¨.                 FIGURE.                  .¨.--;%¤#¶
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##¶££=*~., IT'S A STATUETTE  OF A GIRL LAYING NAKED ,.~*=££¶##
@@#&$;~,,, ON HER  STOMACH,  FEET IN THE AIR.  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   WANTS  ME  TO   THROW   IT   AWAY. ¨.¨,¨,.^~^
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