¨¨,.,~†%§§                                          §§%†~,.,¨¨
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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.              #@@£*=^~,¨
¨~»*=£####                                          ####£=*»~¨
¨¨¨^-;*%$@                                          @$%*;-^¨¨¨
,:«;=@*§£#                                          #£§*@=;«:,
,.,,¨.~*#@                                          @#*~.¨,,.,
,.==§#@###                                          ###@#§==.,
..-*†$&###                                          ###&$†*-..