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