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