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