@@%=~,¨,¨,                                          ,¨,¨,~=%@@
$†^»^,¨¨,.                                          .,¨¨,^»^†$
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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.              ¨¨¨,.,,=*^
*~^.¨¨¨,,¨                                          ¨,,¨¨¨.^~*
~:,¨¨.¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨.¨¨,:~
†=-¨¨¨,...                                          ...,¨¨¨-=†
†*-,,¨,¨..                                          ..¨,¨,,-*†
@**»,¨....                                          ....¨,»**@
£$$†«^.,,.                                          .,,.^«†$$£