£@$=*«¨..¨                                          ¨..¨«*=$@£
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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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