#£$~=««~¨¨                                          ¨¨~««=~$£#
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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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@##§%§;«:¨                                          ¨:«;§%§##@
#@¶#$%†~^.                                          .^~†%$#¶@#