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