,~~=§%@##@                                          @##@%§=~~,
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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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..¨.,^$*§#                                          #§*$^,.¨..