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