###££=\~,.                                          .,~\=££###
@§%†»,,,¨,                                          ,¨,,,»†%§@
&^«¨¨,¨.,¨                                          ¨,.¨,¨¨«^&
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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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#@£§£*\~,.                                          .,~\*£§£@#