..¨^»-^¤$&                                          &$¤^-»^¨..
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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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