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