..,,†$$@£@                                          @£@$$†,,..
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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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