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,¨:»\$¤¤¶#                statuette                 #¶¤¤$\»:¨,
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,.,~:^£&@# &§%&$*$%§¤@$$$&£»«»-~=~=%%£§@&$&*£*§&£%§ #@&£^:~,.,
.,.-»^%%§¶                &$£££&¤*@                 ¶§%%^»-.,.
¨.¨.,«;†£§                                          §£†;«,.¨.¨
,¨,,,~=*$& forests around  my childhood home. thick &$*=~,,,¨,
,...^~†*£@ pine  arcades   that  were  planted  and @£*†~^...,
,¨,,~/=§§@       forgotten. wild boars roaming      @§§=/~,,¨,
.,^=\%&@£# underneath,  sniffing at the ground.  it #£@&%\=^,.
.-»=*$&£## is  dark  and  moist, the canopy  having ##£&$*=»-.
,¨,=/%££¶# already   soaked   up   all   the   sun. #¶££%/=,¨,
,,.--/*&@£                                          £@&*/--.,,
,¨¨.~~;†£# there's  a river  passing  by, from east #£†;~~.¨¨,
.,.,¨~-*†$ to west, getting broader and deeper  and $†*-~¨,.,.
,,.,.=:$¤@ slower as it goes.  equisetum grow  just @¤$:=.,.,,
¨,¨~«*†§#@ where  the  pine  hands  start  to   let @#§†*«~¨,¨
¨,,»^%£¤@# through  light,  horsemint on  the rocky #@¤£%^»,,¨
.,~*%%@###                river bed.                ###@%%*~,.
¨¨,»**@&£#                                          #£&@**»,¨¨
,¨.^=/$$#@                     \                    @#$$/=^.¨,
.,,.,-^$$&                                          &$$^-,.,,.
¨.¨¨¨,»:%$ 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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