##¶¤%§=»:¨                                          ¨:»=§%¤¶##
#¤£$%^;»,.                                          .,»;^%$£¤#
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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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@#%¤¤=*=:.                                          .:=*=¤¤%#@
#§%*†-¨¨.¨                                          ¨.¨¨-†*%§#
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@*=,.,¨.,,                                          ,,.¨,.,=*@