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