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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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