,~=:=£¤@&#                                          #&@¤£=:=~,
,,..~;=§§@                                          @§§=;~..,,
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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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