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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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