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