#@£¤*\~^¨¨                                          ¨¨^~\*¤£@#
@§%§/«,¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨,«/§%§@
#@£§†;«,¨¨                                          ¨¨,«;†§£@#
#@@@$$^-:,                                          ,:-^$$@@@#
#@£¤$\~,.,                                          ,.,~\$¤£@#
#¤@*/-~¨,¨                 statuette                ¨,¨~-/*@¤#
@@&¤§^~.,,                                          ,,.~^§¤&@@
##@££%/=-¨ &@%%@*§@$%%£%%$%«=~-«~~~&££¤%$@%@£%%¤§** ¨-=/%££@##
@@&*$/-:.¨                 £&$&£§§&$                ¨.:-/$*&@@
@#&†;-^¨,,                                          ,,¨^-;†&#@
@@&%†:=.¨¨ forests around  my childhood home. thick ¨¨.=:†%&@@
##¶§§%†~~, pine  arcades  that  were  planted   and ,~~†%§§¶##
###%=†«:¨.       forgotten. wild boars roaming      .¨:«†=%###
#@£=*»,,.. underneath, sniffing  at the ground.  it ..,,»*=£@#
@@&%%†~... is dark  and  moist,  the canopy  having ...~†%%&@@
###&£**-.. already   soaked   up   all   the   sun. ..-**£&###
#@¤£%/»:.,                                          ,.:»/%£¤@#
#@%$^~,¨¨¨ 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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@@&£$:=:,.                                          .,:=:$£&@@