.¨¨...,:£&                                          &£:,...¨¨.
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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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