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