..¨¨-/*&##                                          ##&*/-¨¨..
,-~/%£¤£@#                                          #@£¤£%/~-,
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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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