##£¤§%\«:¨                                          ¨:«\%§¤£##
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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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£@£*^»~¨,,                                          ,,¨~»^*£@£