.¨¨.~\££¤#                                          #¤££\~.¨¨.
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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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