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