#&¤§*-~.¨,                                          ,¨.~-*§¤&#
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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.              .¨.^~:†%§@
§£**=-¨,,,                                          ,,,¨-=**£§
@§%%/~,¨¨.                                          .¨¨,~/%%§@
##&%^\-:.¨                                          ¨.:-\^%&##
##@¤$^:-,¨                                          ¨,-:^$¤@##
##&$††»^¨,                                          ,¨^»††$&##
@§%*\-,.,¨                                          ¨,.,-\*%§@