#£#**;».,.                                          .,.»;**#£#
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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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##£§*\«,¨.                                          .¨,«\*§£##
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