¨¨,,,=*%@£                                          £@%*=,,,¨¨
¨.,.,,::†@                                          @†::,,.,.¨
¨.,,,-/£¤#                                          #¤£/-,,,.¨
..¨,¨:-$$§                                          §$$-:¨,¨..
¨,»†*£¤@@#                                          #@@¤£*†»,¨
..«;*££###                 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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¨.,,-~:¤%#                                          #%¤:~-,,.¨
¨,.:\^*£#@                                          @#£*^\:.,¨