...¨=~$%§#                                          #§%$~=¨...
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..-*=§#¶##                                          ##¶#§=*-..
¨,,-=~:%##                 statuette                ##%:~=-,,¨
¨~~\§*$£££                                          £££$*§\~~¨
.-«/%$£&£# @§$$£*§@%§%*§£§*=--~««~-£%$£$%%$&&&$¤£££ #£&£$%/«-.
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,,«^*£####                                          ####£*^«,,
,¨.=«^%£@@ forests around my  childhood home. thick @@£%^«=.¨,
,~»;*%#&@@ pine  arcades  that   were  planted  and @@&#%*;»~,
.~-:**¤@#@       forgotten. wild boars roaming      @#@¤**:-~.
.~~=†%&¶## underneath, sniffing at  the ground.  it ##¶&%†=~~.
.-«†%£§¶## is  dark and  moist, the  canopy  having ##¶§£%†«-.
.~~^†&@@## already   soaked   up   all   the   sun. ##@@&†^~~.
,,.¨«^;*§£                                          £§*;^«¨.,,
,,=**%¤### there's  a river  passing by, from  east ###¤%**=,,
¨,=†*%&¶## to west,  getting broader and deeper and ##¶&%*†=,¨
.^=/%¤£### slower as  it goes. equisetum grow  just ###£¤%/=^.
.,¨,¨,.\%@ where  the  pine  hands  start   to  let @%\.,¨,¨,.
,-~;*£§### through  light,  horsemint on the  rocky ###§£*;~-,
,,¨...,-^@                river bed.                @^-,...¨,,
.-~/§$¤£§£                                          £§£¤$§/~-.
.~~~;*=£¤@                    /                     @¤£=*;~~~.
.~~:*%@$@@                                          @@$@%*:~~.
¨.,.¨~::§@ the  riverbanks reek  of magic.  tonight @§::~¨.,.¨
,.,~-\$*$# they  had been  a swampworld with sylvan #$*$\-~,.,
¨.~\*££@## water, stone  rings  and floating  moss. ##@££*\~.¨
..-/§£§#§¤ you  could've  found me wallowing around ¤§#§£§/-..
¨,,.-=%^£# on  the  southern  shores  until  i  got #£^%=-.,,¨
¨-~\=%£@##                 bitten.                  ##@£%=\~-¨
,»=†¤@£@##                                          ##@£@¤†=»,
¨.-:†%§@#@ but  now  i'm  further  back,  on  solid @#@§%†:-.¨
¨¨.~=:**$# ground, in  shoulder-high grass, with an #$**:=~.¨¨
¨^~:*§@¶## orange  tin  radio   and  a  translucent ##¶@§*:~^¨
.,,,~~*$¤§      umbrella which i'm sitting on.      §¤$*~~,,,.
.-«\^££¶@#                                          #@¶££^\«-.
,^=†=%£@##                     ^                    ##@£%=†=^,
¨,»:†$$@&£                                          £&@$$†:»,¨
¨.»;^¤#@¤¤ 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.              #@%§%%†»,,
¨-~\^*¤¶##                                          ##¶¤*^\~-¨
,,»=*%#@@#                                          #@@#%*=»,,
,.,..,^:¤@                                          @¤:^,..,.,
,.¨,^^$%$@                                          @$%$^^,¨.,
¨~«»**%§§#                                          #§§%**»«~¨
.-~^§&&£¶@                                          @¶£&&§^~-.