#@@#%=/-,.                                          .,-/=%#@@#
##¶#$†:-.¨                                          ¨.-:†$#¶##
##£&¤*;~-.                                          .-~;*¤&£##
##&£@†/«-.                                          .-«/†@£&##
£&$=--¨,,,                                          ,,,¨--=$&£
#@@\=-...¨                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 ¨.»~†*§†*¤
#@@&£$\«^, particle  board for it  to  dry  on, but ,^«\$£&@@#
#¤¤§@%†-,¨ she   is   worried  and   wants  me   to ¨,-†%@§¤¤#
@@@*//=~,.              throw it away.              .,~=//*@@@
@#¶&%§^~,.                                          .,~^§%&¶#@
£@$*»~¨¨,.                                          .,¨¨~»*$@£
#&\«:¨¨...                                          ...¨¨:«\&#
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##@@¤@=†~,                                          ,~†=@¤@@##
###£$*:=,¨                                          ¨,=:*$£###