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