.,¨,,.*$@¶                                          ¶@$*.,,¨,.
,:~:*§@###                                          ###@§*:~:,
¨,¨^~~$£§#                                          #§£$~~^¨,¨
.~«*=*#@#¶                                          ¶#@#*=*«~.
¨..,-==†§§                                          §§†==-,..¨
,-~\^@@###                 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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..-**§£@##                                          ##@£§**-..