¨,-†=£@###                                          ###@£=†-,¨
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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. §$†:..,.¨¨
¨~~=^%¤¶@#                                          #@¶¤%^=~~¨
...¨.,,^=§ my mom is here  now. i ask  her for some §=^,,.¨...
,,~^*^§%#£ particle  board  for it  to dry  on, but £#%§^*^~,,
,:-;**§### she  is  worried   and   wants   me   to ###§**;-:,
.¨,:~-*:£@              throw it away.              @£:*-~:,¨.
..«=:†%§#@                                          @#§%†:=«..
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,-=^%$*§§@                                          @§§*$%^=-,