¨,~\%$£###                                          ###£$%\~,¨
¨^»:§=§£@#                                          #@£§=§:»^¨
¨.¨.^«$¤£@                                          @£¤$«^.¨.¨
,,.¨^--%$#                                          #$%--^¨.,,
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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 ##¶@$$^»~¨
¨--;%%@#@# the  house,   not  yet  really   in  the #@#@%%;--¨
,,=†=%$%$§ backyard. from  my pockets i retrieve my §$%$%=†=,,
.-~†*@££## radio  (now  dented)  but  also a  small ##££@*†~-.
¨.¨,,^,/$# clay figure i've never  seen before.  it #$/,^,,¨.¨
.¨¨~.;%#@@ must  have been laying in the  wet dirt, @@#%;.~¨¨.
.¨..»»/&§£ and  i  must've picked  it  up  with  my £§&/»»..¨.
,,-«-«**@@            other belongings.             @@**«-«-,,
,,~*†¤¤¶##                                          ##¶¤¤†*~,,
,^=*%*@¶## it's a statuette of a girl laying  naked ##¶@*%*=^,
,¨¨:^^%¤¤@ on   her  stomach,  feet   in  the  air, @¤¤%^^:¨¨,
,¨,¨.,»%##   roughly seven centimeters long. it's   ##%»,.¨,¨,
.,«†%£¤#@¶ freshly made,  not yet completely dried. ¶@#¤£%†«,.
,:~/%$&£##                                          ##£&$%/~:,
,-=;%¤&##@ my mom  is here now. i ask  her for some @##&¤%;=-,
,,~^§$¤@@# particle board for it  to  dry  on,  but #@@¤$§^~,,
,,¨:=†:¤#£ she   is  worried   and  wants   me   to £#¤:†=:¨,,
.,=:^@@##@              throw it away.              @##@@^:=,.
¨^~;*$£@##                                          ##@£$*;~^¨
¨,.¨..==^¤                                          ¤^==..¨.,¨
,.¨~-;/$#£                                          £#$/;-~¨.,
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¨,~\$$&£##                                          ##£&$$\~,¨