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