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