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