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