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