£*::--=^¨.                                          .¨^=--::*£
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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 ¨.=;†$#@##
§§¤&^*»»~¨ particle  board for  it  to dry on,  but ¨~»»*^&¤§§
@&%\~.¨... she  is   worried   and   wants  me   to ...¨.~\%&@
##£§*=;-,¨              throw it away.              ¨,-;=*§£##
#@@&%**=,.                                          .,=**%&@@#
##@¤¤*/=~.                                          .~=/*¤¤@##
##@£&%*-..                                          ..-*%&£@##
#@@#$^^«~.                                          .~«^^$#@@#
##@#@£*«:.                                          .:«*£@#@##
@§¤§†»^¨¨,                                          ,¨¨^»†§¤§@