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