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