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