¨:~;§@§¶##                                          ##¶§@§;~:¨
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.~^=££@###                                          ###@££=^~.
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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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¨.«:*@£@£@                                          @£@£@*:«.¨