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