¨^-/^@§@##                                          ##@§@^/-^¨
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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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