¨,.-=^&¤¶#                                          #¶¤&^=-.,¨
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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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