#@#¤¤*†~^¨                                          ¨^~†*¤¤#@#
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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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#@#£%^^~^¨                                          ¨^~^^%£#@#