..,-~^**##                                          ##**^~-,..
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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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