#@@@%**=,,                                          ,,=**%@@@#
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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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#£$%$%^«,.                                          .,«^%$%$£#