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,,-=\%§&¶#                                          #¶&§%\=-,,
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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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¨,¨¨,,,^-^                                          ^-^,,,¨¨,¨