¨,~^=*###@                                          @###*=^~,¨
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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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