¨,~=%$@###                                          ###@$%=~,¨
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¨,¨^~;^%#£                                          £#%^;~^¨,¨
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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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¨.,=/%&£##                                          ##£&%/=,.¨
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