#@§†~^....                                          ....^~†§@#
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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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