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