#¤%%:^,,¨¨                                          ¨¨,,^:%%¤#
#£#@¤*†~,¨                                          ¨,~†*¤@#£#
£#§$$%\»~,                                          ,~»\%$$§#£
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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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###@*=/=,¨                                          ¨,=/=*@###