,.,,,:^@££                                          ££@^:,,,.,
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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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