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