##£¤*\=,,¨                                          ¨,,=\*¤£##
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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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