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