¨,~\%$£¶##                                          ##¶£$%\~,¨
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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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