.~-†%¤¶@##                                          ##@¶¤%†-~.
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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 #@#@$$/~,¨
,,.--^%$#@ the   house,  not   yet  really  in  the @#$%^--.,,
..~†%*&### backyard. from my pockets  i retrieve my ###&*%†~..
.-«†$@@@@# radio  (now  dented) but  also  a  small #@@@@$†«-.
¨:-=†§§@@# clay  figure i've never  seen before. it #@@§§†=-:¨
¨^»;*%¤#£# must  have been laying in the  wet dirt, #£#¤%*;»^¨
¨.¨.¨.*$£@ and  i must've  picked  it  up  with  my @£$*.¨.¨.¨
¨:»:=@¤@##             other belongings.            ##@¤@=:»:¨
¨-~†^£@¤§#                                          #§¤@£^†~-¨
¨.«\%%£¶## it's a statuette of a girl  laying naked ##¶£%%\«.¨
,.,,^=*&@& on  her  stomach,   feet  in  the   air, &@&*=^,,.,
¨,=†^£&###   roughly seven centimeters long. it's   ###&£^†=,¨
¨,~«-«~**@ freshly made, not yet  completely dried. @**~«-«~,¨
,.,^,-*=¤§                                          §¤=*-,^,.,
.:~†§*¶@## my mom is here now. i  ask her for  some ##@¶*§†~:.
.:~\^%@### particle  board  for  it to dry  on, but ###@%^\~:.
¨,~;=£¤### she   is  worried  and   wants   me   to ###¤£=;~,¨
,:«†%$@@##              throw it away.              ##@@$%†«:,
,~«;$$¤£@#                                          #@£¤$$;«~,
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