£@§;=^~,,¨                                          ¨,,~^=;§@£
@@§&@%†=^,                                          ,^=†%@&§@@
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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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@§$§†»»«-.                                          .-«»»†§$§@