¨,-:$¤@###                                          ###@¤$:-,¨
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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 ####$**»:,
,-»--/\@#@ particle  board for  it  to dry  on, but @#@\/--»-,
.~»^%£@### she  is   worried   and  wants   me   to ###@£%^»~.
.--^**£@#@              throw it away.              @#@£**^--.
,:=†%@&¶##                                          ##¶&@%†=:,
.^«\*@§@##                                          ##@§@*\«^.
.~»/%%@@##                                          ##@@%%/»~.
¨--;%$§@##                                          ##@§$%;--¨
,-«:*@£@@#                                          #@@£@*:«-,
¨¨,,»»;%&¤                                          ¤&%;»»,,¨¨