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¨-«;†@@&@#                 statuette                #@&@@†;«-¨
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,^~\§$£&@@ @§@§£§%£$*§£$§$*«~==--«~§¤$£§%@§¤$*§%@%$ @@&£$§\~^,
.,..,¨-=$@                %$%¤&%££*                 @$=-¨,..,.
.:=:*£#@##                                          ##@#£*:=:.
¨-«;§$¤&§# forests around my childhood home.  thick #§&¤$§;«-¨
,^»:*%&£@# 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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