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