¨-«†%@§£##                                          ##£§@%†«-¨
.,,:~.;%#@                                          @#%;.~:,,.
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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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,,==\=*§&£                                          £&§*=\==,,
¨.»*^%@###                                          ###@%^*».¨