.¨.¨.,:~^#                                          #^~:,.¨.¨.
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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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