.,¨:=\$%#@                                          @#%$\=:¨,.
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,,¨^-^*$@@                                          @@$*^-^¨,,
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,¨,,¨-*=¤#                statuette                 #¤=*-¨,,¨,
¨,=^£¤@###                                          ###@¤£^=,¨
.,«†=$#@## §$¤%%*%&*%%*££$%«~-~==~-$§§£§$£%£¤%&£§&& ##@#$=†«,.
¨¨,,¨..:££                 %$*$£¤§$*                ££:..¨,,¨¨
,~~=%§@£@@                                          @@£@§%=~~,
¨¨.,,^\££@ 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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¨.¨¨,:†%£¶                                          ¶£%†:,¨¨.¨