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