,^-=†;%=£#                                          #£=%;†=-^,
,.=;^£&@##                                          ##@&£^;=.,
,.¨.,^~=^&                                          &^=~^,.¨.,
¨,.,/=$$@#                                          #@$$=/,.,¨
.¨¨¨,»%**&                                          &**%»,¨¨¨.
,:=/^£££##                 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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.:-:*%@###                                          ###@%*:-:.