¨,.»;^¤£@#                                          #@£¤^;».,¨
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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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