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