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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.              ,...^\$@*£
£&=^.¨,,¨.                                          .¨,,¨.^=&£
§@%^~¨¨.,¨                                          ¨,.¨¨~^%@§
###@¤%†=,,                                          ,,=†%¤@###
@%^**»^,,.                                          .,,^»**^%@
@#@¤&*^«^¨                                          ¨^«^*&¤@#@
£*=«..,.¨¨                                          ¨¨.,..«=*£