,,,,,¨,==%                                          %==,¨,,,,,
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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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