##@@&¤%^«.                                          .«^%¤&@@##
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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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@§££\†»,..                                          ..,»†\££§@