#@@§$†=-^¨                                          ¨^-=†$§@@#
#@#$=,.¨,.                                          .,¨.,=$#@#
#£££\,.,,¨                                          ¨,,.,\£££#
##@££^:-,,                                          ,,-:^££@##
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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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