..-»:%¤§@#                                          #@§¤%:»-..
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..-«**£#@#                                          #@#£**«-..
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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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