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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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