..¨,:»%£@¶                                          ¶@£%»:,¨..
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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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