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