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