,¨¨-//^$£&                                          &£$^//-¨¨,
,^«/=*$%£@                                          @£%$*=/«^,
.:-^†%@¶##                                          ##¶@%†^-:.
,¨..,=**&&                                          &&**=,..¨,
¨.=^=%¤#@#                                          #@#¤%=^=.¨
¨.==**£###                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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