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