§§&§:/«-¨,                                          ,¨-«/:§&§§
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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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#¤£=$-,...                                          ...,-$=£¤#
##¶¤$†\~.¨                                          ¨.~\†$¤¶##