.~«=%†*£##                                          ##£*†%=«~.
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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.              ####%%†=,.
¨,-=%$&¶##                                          ##¶&$%=-,¨
¨~~^†&##@#                                          #@##&†^~~¨
.-=\*$§###                                          ###§$*\=-.
,~~«~=$£@@                                          @@£$=~«~~,
.^~=†%£¶#@                                          @#¶£%†=~^.
,-~\=££#@@                                          @@#££=\~-,