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