#&&†-~~¨,¨                                          ¨,¨~~-†&&#
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#@#¤%%\»:¨                                          ¨:»\%%¤#@#
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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 .-\=£¤£###
##@#£$^~^. she   is  worried  and   wants   me   to .^~^$£#@##
@#¤¤&$=«~,              throw it away.              ,~«=$&¤¤#@
##%*=.,¨.¨                                          ¨.¨,.=*%##
#£@¤*$==,,                                          ,,==$*¤@£#
@£§=«-¨¨¨.                                          .¨¨¨-«=§£@
#@@@£††«-,                                          ,-«††£@@@#
#¤&§£*†=:.                                          .:=†*£§&¤#
@¶£@=~»¨¨,                                          ,¨¨»~=@£¶@