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