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