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