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