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