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