.,~:†%&@@#                                          #@@&%†:~,.
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,¨,,.,/$£¶                                          ¶£$/,.,,¨,
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.,-††&@£¶#                 statuette                #¶£@&††-,.
,,-~»=^$¶@                                          @¶$^=»~-,,
,~»^%%§@## &%&*¤£$££%%§**$@~«---=«~§£§$@*%&&£**£$$% ##@§%%^»~,
.:«†$£¤@##                £@§%§£@%%                 ##@¤£$†«:.
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,:-^:=:$%§ forests around  my childhood home. thick §%$:=:^-:,
¨.,,:~~**¤ pine  arcades  that  were   planted  and ¤**~~:,,.¨
.-»^*$@#@#      forgotten. wild boars roaming       #@#@$*^»-.
¨^-†^*$%¤@ underneath, sniffing  at  the ground. it @¤%$*^†-^¨
.^~\†@§#@# is  dark and  moist, the  canopy  having #@#§@†\~^.
¨~»^%$@£@# already   soaked   up   all   the   sun. #@£@$%^»~¨
.^»^*$@###                                          ###@$*^»^.
.:~†%£@£#¶ there's a  river  passing  by, from east ¶#£@£%†~:.
¨,..¨..«^§ to west, getting broader  and deeper and §^«..¨..,¨
,..,..«*=& slower as  it goes. equisetum  grow just &=*«..,..,
.^~/$@&@## where  the   pine  hands  start  to  let ##@&@$/~^.
,^»:%*@@@# through light,  horsemint  on  the rocky #@@@*%:»^,
.:-;§£#£##                river bed.                ##£#£§;-:.
.,¨¨,¨=:%¤                                          ¤%:=¨,¨¨,.
,^-\*§£¶@#                     *                    #@¶£§*\-^,
¨,«\=@££##                                          ##££@=\«,¨
.-=/$*%&@@ the  riverbanks  reek of  magic. tonight @@&%*$/=-.
¨-~;=*§#@@ they had been a  swampworld with  sylvan @@#§*=;~-¨
¨¨..¨,:\*# water, stone  rings  and  floating moss. #*\:,¨..¨¨
..¨¨,»=%&& you  could've  found me wallowing around &&%=»,¨¨..
¨,~^^¤§@## on  the  southern  shores  until  i  got ##@§¤^^~,¨
¨-«;†£####                 bitten.                  ####£†;«-¨
¨^-*§&&##@                                          @##&&§*-^¨
,.,,~†%££& but  now  i'm  further  back,  on  solid &££%†~,,.,
¨~»=§%@@## ground, in shoulder-high grass,  with an ##@@%§=»~¨
,:~:§$£¶@# orange  tin  radio  and  a   translucent #@¶£$§:~:,
,--:*¤@###      umbrella which i'm sitting on.      ###@¤*:--,
¨¨.,,,«$&#                                          #&$«,,,.¨¨
¨~~:*§¤@##                    \                     ##@¤§*:~~¨
.~-:$$####                                          ####$$:-~.
,.«^%§&@#@ 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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