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