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