.,^=:$£@@#                                          #@@£$:=^,.
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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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¨¨¨:«;%*£#                                          #£*%;«:¨¨¨
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