,^«\*%##@#                                          #@##%*\«^,
,,.¨,==§#@                                          @#§==,¨.,,
,.==*£####                                          ####£*==.,
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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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