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