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