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