.-~/^@&###                                          ###&@^/~-.
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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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