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