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