£=~~¨¨,¨..                                          ..¨,¨¨~~=£
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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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##*%;=;~.,                                          ,.~;=;%*##
@#¤†~-^,¨¨                                          ¨¨,^-~†¤#@
##@¤%=†»~,                                          ,~»†=%¤@##
@@#&§%†~~¨                                          ¨~~†%§&#@@