,,¨¨.\¤$&@                                          @&$¤\.¨¨,,
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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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,-~*§$¤#@#                                          #@#¤$§*~-,