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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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