.~==^$§@##                                          ##@§$^==~.
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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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