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