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