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