.~/^@££@##                                          ##@££@^/~.
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.¨^»/**#£@                                          @£#**/»^¨.
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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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