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