¨,=†*&££##                                          ##££&*†=,¨
,,=:%@¤#¶@                                          @¶#¤@%:=,,
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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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,¨¨¨¨,:/¤@                                          @¤/:,¨¨¨¨,