.^»~/†$$§¶                                          ¶§$$†/~»^.
,,»\$%&@##                                          ##@&%$\»,,
.-»*=¤§@##                                          ##@§¤=*»-.
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,¨¨,.«%§%&                                          &%§%«.,¨¨,
¨^~/†¤£@##                statuette                 ##@£¤†/~^¨
¨~=/*%†££#                                          #££†%*/=~¨
,~«;*%¤@@# £$@%*£$$£§*£@§&$=~«~=-~~*%*£¤$@¤@¤¤§$&£¤ #@@¤%*;«~,
¨^~*=$†@&#                 ££*£%¤*££                #&@†$=*~^¨
¨.~:%§##££                                          ££##§%:~.¨
¨,-^^§£@## forests around  my childhood home. thick ##@£§^^-,¨
..»=%#£@## pine   arcades  that  were  planted  and ##@£#%=»..
,¨¨¨¨¨~%=£      forgotten. wild boars roaming       £=%~¨¨¨¨¨,
.-»^=£@£## underneath, sniffing at  the ground.  it ##£@£=^»-.
...¨~»%%&¤ is dark  and moist,  the  canopy  having ¤&%%»~¨...
.:«/^%¤#@# already   soaked   up   all   the   sun. #@#¤%^/«:.
.^»:†*#£##                                          ##£#*†:»^.
,,»\*£&@¶¶ there's  a river passing  by,  from east ¶¶@&£*\»,,
..~\$%#¶## to west, getting broader and  deeper and ##¶#%$\~..
.,¨¨=»\£@£ 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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