¨¨.¨¨~/%%@                                          @%%/~¨¨.¨¨
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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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