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