#%%*^¨¨,¨,                                          ,¨,¨¨^*%%#
#@¶¤*^*--¨                                          ¨--*^*¤¶@#
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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.              ¨¨¨,¨^^-*#
§¤==.-,,..                                          ..,,-.==¤§
¶¤$^~.¨¨,¨                                          ¨,¨¨.~^$¤¶
@£§§%%*~~¨                                          ¨~~*%%§§£@
##£¤%*:~~.                                          .~~:*%¤£##
@$=.¨.¨¨.¨                                          ¨.¨¨.¨.=$@
£§%~,¨.¨..                                          ..¨.¨,~%§£