.,~\†&####                                          ####&†\~,.
¨,.-:$$#£#                                          #£#$$:-.,¨
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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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