##¶§@%=~,¨                                          ¨,~=%@§¶##
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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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