,^»=*¤####                                          ####¤*=»^,
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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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