.-/*£#@@##                                          ##@@#£*/-.
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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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