,,^-=%%££@                                          @££%%=-^,,
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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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¨¨..«^%&&#                                          #&&%^«..¨¨
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,-«*§&@###                                          ###@&§*«-,
.,,«^§££@#                                          #@££§^«,,.