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