,,-=^$£¶##                                          ##¶£$^=-,,
..«/^%@£##                                          ##£@%^/«..
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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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¨-»/**&¶##                                          ##¶&**/»-¨