,,=\=%§@##                                          ##@§%=\=,,
,.,.-,:†&£                                          £&†:,-.,.,
¨,,:«=*@@@                                          @@@*=«:,,¨
¨,-/*%¤###                                          ###¤%*/-,¨
,^»*†&¤¶##                                          ##¶¤&†*»^,
..^:.†*&£&                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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