¨,¨¨,»†£#@                                          @#£†»,¨¨,¨
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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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,,-;^££¶##                                          ##¶££^;-,,
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.--:*%@@##                                          ##@@%*:--.