,,¨.»†^%&£                                          £&%^†».¨,,
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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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