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