¨-«/$%£@##                                          ##@£%$/«-¨
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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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