.¨¨,.,-†§£                                          £§†-,.,¨¨.
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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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