¨..^»=†%£#                                          #£%†=»^..¨
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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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