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