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