,.»^†$&###                                          ###&$†^».,
¨^-/†$&#@¶                                          ¶@#&$†/-^¨
..=;=££¶##                                          ##¶££=;=..
.,.¨,.«=£¶                                          ¶£=«.,¨.,.
¨:~^%†*†§#                                          #§†*†%^~:¨
¨¨~,»%%$£@                statuette                 @£$%%»,~¨¨
..«^%§¤£##                                          ##£¤§%^«..
¨:«†::£&¤§ %%¤£%*$§%&££@&$%«»«»~»=~§@$*%%*££*£¤£%*% §¤&£::†«:¨
,,~†*$&@##                 %*&%§¤&§&                ##@&$*†~,,
¨-»\*%§@@#                                          #@@§%*\»-¨
,.¨¨-~^¤£# forests around  my childhood home. thick #£¤^~-¨¨.,
.¨.¨¨:=†&£ pine  arcades  that  were   planted  and £&†=:¨¨.¨.
.¨..~«$@*¶       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.              £@$†=»:,,.
¨.=/†£¤###                                          ###¤£†/=.¨
,~»«»=%^†¤                                          ¤†^%=»«»~,
¨^===$§##@                                          @##§$===^¨
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.,,,.:/%¤@                                          @¤%/:.,,,.
¨.,,«†$&£@                                          @£&$†«,,.¨