,¨.~«\*§&£                                          £&§*\«~.¨,
,¨.¨~»^=*#                                          #*=^»~¨.¨,
..,.¨.~;%£                                          £%;~.¨.,..
,¨¨.¨¨,~\§                                          §\~,¨¨.¨¨,
.¨.¨,,.^=^                                          ^=^.,,¨.¨.
....,,.¨,«                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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,....¨..«;                                          ;«..¨....,
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..,,.-~=†£                                          £†=~-.,,..