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