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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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..,..¨~~^§                                          §^~~¨..,..
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