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