¤£*%-^^¨..                                          ..¨^^-%*£¤
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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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##£†/~~,..                                          ..,~~/†£##
@%†%~,,~-¨                                          ¨-~,,~%†%@
@£*%*=.,..                                          ..,.=*%*£@
#@#@&††«~,                                          ,~«††&@#@#