.,-\§%&#@#                                          #@#&%§\-,.
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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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