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