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