,,«^†$¤@##                                          ##@¤$†^«,,
,¨^~†=¤&¶#                                          #¶&¤=†~^¨,
¨¨.:»†%%#@                                          @#%%†»:.¨¨
.¨~«\=%§@#                                          #@§%=\«~¨.
.-»=%%£###                                          ###£%%=»-.
,,:-*%$#@#                statuette                 #@#$%*-:,,
,.¨:~\§$#¶                                          ¶#$§\~:¨.,
.,.«/%$&@@ *$@%§*£$%*@*%£££-=-««»»«*£@££§§¤*¤@@£¤$£ @@&$%/«.,.
¨^»/^*¤###                 %§@@§¤%£§                ###¤*^/»^¨
¨.^=;%¤@@#                                          #@@¤%;=^.¨
..¨~»†*&§# forests around my  childhood home. thick #§&*†»~¨..
.¨,«=†$£@# 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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