,¨.:†**$£@                                          @£$**†:.¨,
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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 #@#§$$;«,.
¨~~/=§¤£## backyard.  from my pockets i retrieve my ##£¤§=/~~¨
.,.,~††%#@ radio  (now  dented)  but  also a  small @#%††~,.,.
,,-:%%@£§# clay figure i've  never seen  before. it #§£@%%:-,,
,.=:*£&@@# must have  been laying in the wet  dirt, #@@&£*:=.,
.¨,.~-=££@ and  i  must've  picked it  up  with  my @££=-~.,¨.
,.»;§%$£¶#             other belongings.            #¶£$%§;».,
¨.-^†%¤###                                          ###¤%†^-.¨
,¨.,~»*^@£ it's a statuette of a girl laying  naked £@^*»~,.¨,
.¨.^^;$&@# on  her  stomach,   feet  in  the   air, #@&$;^^.¨.
¨-»:**¤@#¶   roughly seven centimeters long. it's   ¶#@¤**:»-¨
¨,~†^££@§@ freshly made,  not yet completely dried. @§@££^†~,¨
.,~~=~^§@#                                          #@§^~=~~,.
,~«/^§@#@# my mom is here now.  i ask her  for some #@#@§^/«~,
¨.~=/:\£££ particle board  for it to  dry  on,  but £££\:/=~.¨
..»:§§§#@§ she   is   worried  and   wants  me   to §@#§§§:»..
,.«=*££@##              throw it away.              ##@££*=«.,
¨,»\*$&£##                                          ##£&$*\»,¨
.,.¨,-=:†&                                          &†:=-,¨.,.
..«:§$&&§#                                          #§&&$§:«..
,,~:$$£@@#                                          #@@£$$:~,,
¨¨¨¨¨^-:¤¶                                          ¶¤:-^¨¨¨¨¨
.^--\†*@@£                                          £@@*†\--^.