##¶&$%:«^,                                          ,^«:%$&¶##
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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   ,:~=%$####
§^^-~~=¨., freshly made,  not yet completely dried. ,.¨=~~-^^§
##¶@%†;~^.                                          .^~;†%@¶##
#¤;*..,¨.¨ my mom  is here now. i ask her  for some ¨.¨,..*;¤#
##£§*%*~., particle  board for  it to  dry  on, but ,.~*%*§£##
#%~~:,,¨,, she   is  worried   and   wants  me   to ,,¨,,:~~%#
&%;^:~....              throw it away.              ....~:^;%&
##£¤&%/~.¨                                          ¨.~/%&¤£##
###@@=\~~¨                                          ¨~~\=@@###
#@@#&%=--.                                          .--=%&#@@#
##@£@$†«,,                                          ,,«†$@£@##
###¤*^†«,¨                                          ¨,«†^*¤###
###£$%*«,.                                          .,«*%$£###