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