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