¨.~:†$¤###                                          ###¤$†:~.¨
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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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.,¨,.¨,~*=                                          =*~,¨.,¨,.
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