¨,~*§*&@##                                          ##@&*§*~,¨
.--*$¤¤£@#                                          #@£¤¤$*--.
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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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