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