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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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..¨.¨~†=§@                                          @§=†~¨.¨..