¨¨,.~~=*%¤                                          ¤%*=~~.,¨¨
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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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,,:-:§£&@#                                          #@&£§:-:,,