.,.-»»\%£@                                          @£%\»»-.,.
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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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