,¨^=*%%£##                                          ##£%%*=^¨,
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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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