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