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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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