#@£@%%†»-¨                                          ¨-»†%%@£@#
&&^-.¨..,,                                          ,,..¨.-^&&
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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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££*£%%*»^,                                          ,^»*%%£*££