¨.»†%§&¶¶£                                          £¶¶&§%†».¨
,^=†§%@###                                          ###@%§†=^,
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..»*%¤&#¤£                                          £¤#&¤%*»..
...-.\*&##                                          ##&*\.-...
¨,.¨¨-^=£#                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 #@##$%;«,,
...,.~%£§# she   is  worried   and   wants  me   to #§£%~.,...
.,~*%£@###              throw it away.              ###@£%*~,.
.,¨,-,;*%@                                          @%*;,-,¨,.
¨~«**¤§@##                                          ##@§¤**«~¨
,.~=$£&@##                                          ##@&£$=~.,
¨:-^*$¤¶##                                          ##¶¤$*^-:¨
,¨¨¨.-*=§&                                          &§=*-.¨¨¨,
,,-***¤¤##                                          ##¤¤***-,,