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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.      %*:-,..¨¨¨
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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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