,^«†$§@@@#                                          #@@@§$†«^,
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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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