,..,¨,~-†&                                          &†-~,¨,..,
,¨,¨.:«~†@                                          @†~«:.¨,¨,
¨¨,¨¨:~^£@                                          @£^~:¨¨,¨¨
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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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.,~\*@£&@#                                          #@&£@*\~,.