¨...,,=§##                                          ##§=,,...¨
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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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¨=\$@§####                                          ####§@$\=¨