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