¨,,,=†*£#@                                          @#£*†=,,,¨
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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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