.^-†%%¤££@                                          @££¤%%†-^.
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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.              ##¶£%%=-,.
¨,,../%#@#                                          #@#%/..,,¨
..,..,^$*#                                          #*$^,..,..
,,»/^%¤§¤§                                          §¤§¤%^/»,,
.--=§&§@#@                                          @#@§&§=--.
.^--\*¤¤@@                                          @@¤¤*\--^.
.¨¨.-:~†#¤                                          ¤#†~:-.¨¨.