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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 @@&$$=^=.,
,,=*%@&@## on  the  southern  shores  until  i  got ##@&@%*=,,
.¨¨.,~†§^@                  bitten.                 @^§†~,.¨¨.
.,»:†$§@##                                          ##@§$†:»,.
..=^$@££#¶ but  now  i'm  further  back,  on  solid ¶#££@$^=..
¨.¨,.:^§%@ ground, in shoulder-high  grass, with an @%§^:.,¨.¨
.,~:*@#£## orange  tin   radio  and  a  translucent ##£#@*:~,.
,.¨.,/*¤£#      umbrella which i'm sitting on.      #£¤*/,.¨.,
,,¨¨.,^%@#                                          #@%^,.¨¨,,
¨^«=*£¤@@#                    †                     #@@¤£*=«^¨
.,»^;†£££#                                          #£££†;^»,.
....¨-*£¤& somethings  moving  in  the grass.  it's &¤£*-¨....
,^~«~«\%%£ invisible to  my  eyes  but  i  can feel £%%\«~«~^,
.~»~=†§%¤@ through the ground just how large it is. @¤%§†=~»~.
¨,~*†$¤#@#                                          #@#¤$†*~,¨
¨:»==£#¤£@ the soil  is muddy.  i slip when  trying @£¤#£==»:¨
,~~=%†&@#@ to  get  up,   still   looking  at   the @#@&†%=~~,
¨¨¨,.-,†&# direction  of sound rather  than  at  my #&†,-.,¨¨¨
.¨,~,:%$#@ hands,  who  are busy putting things  in @#$%:,~,¨.
¨,...«%##@               my pockets.                @##%«...,¨
,:~^*@@§§&                                          &§§@@*^~:,
.:-;§&££@# then   i  run   east  toward  my   home. #@££&§;-:.
¨-~†$*¤¶@#                                          #@¶¤*$†~-¨
..¨¨^:^§#@                     *                    @#§^:^¨¨..
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,.~/%@&@## i am not followed,  and slow down in the ##@&@%/~.,
¨,~==&£&&£ clearing  where you  at  first  can spot £&&£&==~,¨
¨,:%§&¶### the  house,  not   yet   really  in  the ###¶&§%:,¨
..,.¨»;$#@ backyard.  from my pockets i retrieve my @#$;»¨.,..
,¨,~*§*%%¤ radio  (now  dented)  but  also a  small ¤%%*§*~,¨,
,¨.,,,«=$¤ clay figure  i've never seen  before. it ¤$=«,,,.¨,
¨:^.^;%%&@ must have  been laying in the  wet dirt, @&%%;^.^:¨
¨¨.::~;$$& 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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