..,-//=*#§                                          §#*=//-,..
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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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