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