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