#££%;«:.,,                                          ,,.:«;%££#
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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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