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