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