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