,,.^=%*£@¶                                          ¶@£*%=^.,,
,,,¨¨^*$%£                                          £%$*^¨¨,,,
,-»^*%££##                                          ##££%*^»-,
,~~/§*$§##                                          ##§$*§/~~,
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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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