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