###@£*;~~.                                          .~~;*£@###
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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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@@#¤§%==,.                                          .,==%§¤#@@