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