,.=**£####                                          ####£**=.,
.¨.=/=%¤@#                                          #@¤%=/=.¨.
,,.^=†%$@#                                          #@$%†=^.,,
,¨-~=†$¤##                                          ##¤$†=~-¨,
,,-^=$@###                                          ###@$=^-,,
,.,~†^*###                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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