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.¨.,,.~/*%                statuette                 %*/~.,,.¨.
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¨,.¨.=%§## %§%&$$%$@$¤£¤*§§~~~-=-«~$%%%**@§$%$§¤§@¤ ##§%=.¨.,¨
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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.               #££¤*=,.,.
,.-\$&&¶##                                          ##¶&&$\-.,
,,†*&@#@## then   i   run  east   toward  my  home. ##@#@&*†,,
,¨-=*£&¶##                                          ##¶&£*=-¨,
.¨,~**£¤¶@                     /                    @¶¤£**~,¨.
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,.¨¨.^*%£§ i am not  followed, and slow down in the §£%*^.¨¨.,
¨,,.¨,:^=¤ clearing  where  you at  first  can spot ¤=^:,¨.,,¨
.,,..-/†£# the  house,  not  yet   really  in   the #£†/-..,,.
.,..,=§¤¤@ backyard. from my pockets i retrieve  my @¤¤§=,..,.
¨..-\%£¤£@ radio  (now  dented)  but  also  a small @£¤£%\-..¨
..^;*$&@## 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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