£§@$:-^..¨                                          ¨..^-:$@§£
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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 ¨¨,»/*$$¤#
@£#@&§*»^, on  her   stomach,  feet  in   the  air, ,^»*§&@#£@
@§^*-¨,,.¨   roughly seven centimeters long. it's   ¨.,,¨-*^§@
##%-.,¨,.¨ freshly  made, not yet completely dried. ¨.,¨,.-%##
@¤§£%†^«-¨                                          ¨-«^†%£§¤@
##%*:/-¨,, my mom is here  now. i ask her for  some ,,¨-/:*%##
@£§£%†*-:. particle  board  for it to  dry on,  but .:-*†%£§£@
#§&&://~~¨ she   is  worried   and   wants  me   to ¨~~//:&&§#
###¤£^:=:¨              throw it away.              ¨:=:^£¤###
###@&**«:,                                          ,:«**&@###
##£*-¨¨¨,,                                          ,,¨¨¨-*£##
#@£%†%=~-,                                          ,-~=%†%£@#
#¤§§=*:«,¨                                          ¨,«:*=§§¤#
#%=^.,,,,.                                          .,,,,.^=%#
###&$$\»,¨                                          ¨,»\$$&###