,.¨,»*$$§§                                          §§$$*»,¨.,
¨,==%£#@@#                                          #@@#£%==,¨
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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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