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