,,,.~\^=&#                                          #&=^\~.,,,
.^»†^†$*£#                                          #£*$†^†»^.
¨:«=^$¤@##                                          ##@¤$^=«:¨
¨^=*==%$%#                                          #%$%==*=^¨
.,¨¨,;*%£¶                                          ¶£%*;,¨¨,.
¨.«/^§§##@                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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