#££&¤=:~-¨                                          ¨-~:=¤&££#
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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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