.¨,¨,«;%£@                                          @£%;«,¨,¨.
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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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