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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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