£@#*/*-:,¨                                          ¨,:-*/*#@£
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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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¤*$:=¨¨¨.,                                          ,.¨¨¨=:$*¤
#@@#£^†~:,                                          ,:~†^£#@@#
££^~-..,,.                                          .,,..-~^££