.¨,¨¨.«/$£                                          £$/«.¨¨,¨.
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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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.,-†*£&£@#                                          #@£&£*†-,.