.,,.,=§$@@                                          @@$§=,.,,.
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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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