,~«/†§¶###                                          ###¶§†/«~,
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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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