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