####@$*--.                                          .--*$@####
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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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#@@&$^:«.,                                          ,.«:^$&@@#