,,~^%†%@##                                          ##@%†%^~,,
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.,~†§$@@§§                                          §§@@$§†~,.
¨.-~.*££*@                                          @*££*.~-.¨
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,,-~-~=§%§                statuette                 §%§=~-~-,,
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,^»\%@£#@# *¤&&§$*£$@£&*£&&~«=»~»»~%£@&&¤£§@£$¤&%@% #@#£@%\»^,
¨¨,,¨~~^££                %*£££@&&%                 ££^~~¨,,¨¨
,.«/*&@@£@                                          @£@@&*/«.,
,,¨¨.*†=@# forests around my  childhood home. thick #@=†*.¨¨,,
¨..¨:;=&¤£ pine  arcades  that  were  planted   and £¤&=;:¨..¨
¨,.¨¨~=@@@      forgotten. wild boars roaming       @@@=~¨¨.,¨
,,~;*%§### underneath, sniffing  at the  ground. it ###§%*;~,,
,,=\$##@## is  dark and  moist,  the  canopy having ##@##$\=,,
,,=\†£§£## 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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