,.~/†$####                                          ####$†/~.,
.,¨,/^†@#¶                                          ¶#@†^/,¨,.
..»\**§###                                          ###§**\»..
.,,¨¨¨:†§#                                          #§†:¨¨¨,,.
.¨¨.¨~§@#@                                          @#@§~¨.¨¨.
¨¨.¨«=§$§¤                 statuette                ¤§$§=«¨.¨¨
,,~^†$§@##                                          ##@§$†^~,,
..,¨,~%¤¤§ §@%£$%£%£$@*£££%-~-«~=~~%$£@$£*%&¤@%§£*§ §¤¤%~,¨,..
¨.,.,~=¤#@                %£¤$$%%$£                 @#¤=~,.,.¨
.,,¨,,-*§¤                                          ¤§*-,,¨,,.
¨,»†*%¤£## 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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,,«^^&@@##                                          ##@@&^^«,,