.-»/%&@###                                          ###@&%/»-.
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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 ##¶@$;=^.,
..,,«;%§£@            other belongings.             @£§%;«,,..
¨..,,»=$¤#                                          #¤$=»,,..¨
.,¨,.~=\*@ it's a  statuette of a girl laying naked @*\=~.,¨,.
,¨¨...~»†& on  her   stomach,  feet  in   the  air, &†»~...¨¨,
,,.¨.¨¨.~\   roughly seven centimeters long. it's   \~.¨¨.¨.,,
,..¨...«;£ freshly made,  not yet completely dried. £;«...¨..,
.,,¨.:»;¤&                                          &¤;»:.¨,,.
¨¨.¨~»\¤££ my mom is here  now. i ask  her for some ££¤\»~¨.¨¨
,,¨^~*£¤¶# particle  board  for it  to dry on,  but #¶¤£*~^¨,,
,,.«^£¤¶## she  is   worried   and  wants   me   to ##¶¤£^«.,,
¨~«†£§####              throw it away.              ####§£†«~¨
,¨.~:*&£##                                          ##£&*:~.¨,
,..^»*%¤#@                                          @#¤%*»^..,
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¨.,¨¨^«;$#                                          #$;«^¨¨,.¨
.,¨.,,.«=£                                          £=«.,,.¨,.
¨..¨,¨¨^»:                                          :»^¨¨,¨..¨