,,.«\*@¶@#                                          #@¶@*\«.,,
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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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