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