#@£¤&^^-^¨                                          ¨^-^^&¤£@#
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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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###¤%*†~,¨                                          ¨,~†*%¤###
£&¤§/,¨.,¨                                          ¨,.¨,/§¤&£
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#$†*«-,.,.                                          .,.,-«*†$#