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