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