,^»/*¤&¶@@                                          @@¶&¤*/»^,
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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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