#####£†~~.                                          .~~†£#####
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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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##£¤£%/»,.                                          .,»/%£¤£##
##@@%§:~,.                                          .,~:§%@@##
@#%*=..,.,                                          ,.,..=*%#@