.,.»~^§£&&                                          &&£§^~».,.
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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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