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