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