.,.^-:=£#£                                          £#£=:-^.,.
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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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