#@\~«=,,,¨                                          ¨,,,=«~\@#
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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 ¨,~*^$£###
#@§&¤*:~,, she   is   worried  and   wants  me   to ,,~:*¤&§@#
§==,,...¨.              throw it away.              .¨...,,==§
##@&*§/~,¨                                          ¨,~/§*&@##
#$§£*~,.¨¨                                          ¨¨.,~*£§$#
##¶¤@%\=,,                                          ,,=\%@¤¶##
@£%~~~¨.¨¨                                          ¨¨.¨~~~%£@
#@¶#%$\-~.                                          .~-\$%#¶@#
£##@**^=,¨                                          ¨,=^**@##£