@###&§:~-,                                          ,-~:§&###@
#@@§¤†*~~.                                          .~~*†¤§@@#
#@##$§^«~.                                          .~«^§$##@#
@##£¤$:»-,                                          ,-»:$¤£##@
£§=*~¨.,¨¨                                          ¨¨,.¨~*=§£
###¤$%/»,,                 statuette                ,,»/%$¤###
@#¶§%$=~^¨                                          ¨^~=$%§¶#@
###@$^/»-. *£@@££@**$¤£@§£§«--~=«~«$£&$**§£%$¤%%$£@ .-»/^$@###
¶#£#%§=«,,                 £§¤%§&&&£                ,,«=§%#£#¶
¤%«,¨,.¨¨,                                          ,¨¨.,¨,«%¤
##@&$=\»^, 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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£#¶£@=;~^¨                                          ¨^~;=@£¶#£
####$§*~~.                                          .~~*§$####