,,¨¨,.:»/$                                          $/»:.,¨¨,,
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¨¨,¨,..¨~=                                          =~¨..,¨,¨¨
,¨,¨,..^~\                                          \~^..,¨,¨,
,¨,¨..:=^§                                          §^=:..¨,¨,
,,,,¨,=:†*                 statuette                *†:=,¨,,,,
¨,¨¨~=*^$&                                          &$^*=~¨¨,¨
,,,^»:=&£@ %%£$&£§§$£@£$§%*=~=-»««=£&£&@§@@§$§§£$$% @£&=:»^,,,
¨,,=^=§&¶@                $**£££$$¤                 @¶&§=^=,,¨
,.-/=%&#@#                                          #@#&%=/-.,
,¨:~*§$#£# forests around  my childhood home. thick #£#$§*~:¨,
¨,¨~«^=§¤@ 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   ##&$§†=^..
.¨,,«;†§#£ freshly made, not yet  completely dried. £#§†;«,,¨.
,..,,~†$&&                                          &&$†~,,..,
.,¨¨.~«††% my mom is here now. i ask  her for  some %††«~.¨¨,.
¨¨.,,¨-«\^ particle board  for it  to  dry on,  but ^\«-¨,,.¨¨
,¨..¨,¨,~/ she  is   worried   and  wants   me   to /~,¨,¨..¨,
¨¨,¨.,,.,=              throw it away.              =,.,,.¨,¨¨
,,..,.,-==                                          ==-,.,..,,
,,¨,..~=**                                          **=~..,¨,,
,¨,...=/%£                                          £%/=...,¨,
.¨.,^~;$@§                                          §@$;~^,.¨.
...-~:=@§@                                          @§@=:~-...
¨¨-«^=$@£@                                          @£@$=^«-¨¨