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