,..¨^~;*@£                                          £@*;~^¨..,
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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.              ¤$†*«,..,¨
¨¨,-»†$§&#                                          #&§$†»-,¨¨
..:~:=*&£#                                          #£&*=:~:..
¨,~\†@¤¶##                                          ##¶¤@†\~,¨
¨.:-/^%&#@                                          @#&%^/-:.¨
..,^«\†@@#                                          #@@†\«^,..
,.,¨,~:*&@                                          @&*:~,¨,.,