.,,--/*%@@                                          @@%*/--,,.
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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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