,,»\%§¤@##                                          ##@¤§%\»,,
,,=^^%£@@#                                          #@@£%^^=,,
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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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