£%%$†^,,¨,                                          ,¨,,^†$%%£
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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 ,~~^†¤£##@
@##&$%*»-,              throw it away.              ,-»*%$&##@
##@£§%^«:.                                          .:«^%§£@##
@£%*«.,..,                                          ,..,.«*%£@
¶%^»=¨.,.¨                                          ¨.,.¨=»^%¶
##£#§%†«-¨                                          ¨-«†%§#£##
#@£*««.,.,                                          ,.,.««*£@#
####*^=»,,                                          ,,»=^*####