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