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