.:-;^%$%@#                                          #@%$%^;-:.
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,,~=^¤@&@@                                          @@&@¤^=~,,
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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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