¨,=†\*\§§@                                          @§§\*\†=,¨
¨.~\*%¤###                                          ###¤%*\~.¨
.-~:*†*%@£                                          £@%*†*:~-.
,-~:*££###                                          ###££*:~-,
.,-;=§@¤@#                                          #@¤@§=;-,.
¨,~::/†§^&                 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. @¤¤$\//=,.
¨,«*=£@¶¶#                                          #¶¶@£=*«,¨
¨^»~-†*@£# my mom is here now. i ask  her for  some #£@*†-~»^¨
:~†§&&£### particle  board  for it to dry  on,  but ###£&&§†~:
,¨¨,.:»;§# she   is   worried   and  wants   me  to #§;»:.,¨¨,
¨~«-«~::%&              throw it away.              &%::~«-«~¨
.¨.-*\*^§£                                          £§^*\*-.¨.
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,~-;*$#¶@#                                          #@¶#$*;-~,
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¨~»^*$£#@#                                          #@#£$*^»~¨
,-~=:*§&@@                                          @@&§*:=~-,