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