##@:.,¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨,.:@##
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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 .¨..\$%$£@
@@#§*%;=., she   is  worried   and  wants   me   to ,.=;%*§#@@
###£&%\«^.              throw it away.              .^«\%&£###
##£¤$^\».,                                          ,.»\^$¤£##
##£@¤^^=.,                                          ,.=^^¤@£##
##@§¤%*=:¨                                          ¨:=*%¤§@##
##££§*†-^.                                          .^-†*§££##
¶£$£=.¨,.,                                          ,.,¨.=£$£¶
#§£$=*,,.,                                          ,.,,*=$£§#