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