££%†\«,.¨¨                                          ¨¨.,«\†%££
§£†/«,¨,¨.                                          .¨,¨,«/†£§
@§*»,,,,.,                                          ,.,,,,»*§@
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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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##@§§$:-,.                                          .,-:$§§@##