£@£§::¨.,¨                                          ¨,.¨::§£@£
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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 ¨--;$*§¤¤#
#@£¤*=;-:¨              throw it away.              ¨:-;=*¤£@#
##¶@$§^-~¨                                          ¨~-^§$@¶##
#@£@£*/»,¨                                          ¨,»/*£@£@#
@$\=,¨¨,¨,                                          ,¨,¨¨,=\$@
@##£%%^-~.                                          .~-^%%£##@
#¤@§§§\«:,                                          ,:«\§§§@¤#
###@£%*«..                                          ..«*%£@###