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