.,¨¨^«*%*£                                          £*%*«^¨¨,.
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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 $*^~:.¨,.,
.,¨¨..,«/*              throw it away.              */«,..¨¨,.
,,¨,¨~~†%$                                          $%†~~¨,¨,,
¨.,.:~=^%&                                          &%^=~:.,.¨
,,.~~/^§@£                                          £@§^/~~.,,
.¨:«/%@¤£@                                          @£¤@%/«:¨.
¨,«:^$@@##                                          ##@@$^:«,¨
¨¨.»;*¤#@#                                          #@#¤*;».¨¨