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