,..,~†££¶£                                          £¶££†~,..,
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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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¨,=**§§¶@#                                          #@¶§§**=,¨