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