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