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