¶£¤=».¨,,,                                          ,,,¨.»=¤£¶
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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 .:«*†¤£#@#
#¤$$».,..¨              throw it away.              ¨..,.»$$¤#
#@£@§%/»:¨                                          ¨:»/%§@£@#
@£§~::....                                          ....::~§£@
§==-,-¨,¨.                                          .¨,¨-,-==§
#@§«..¨¨¨.                                          .¨¨¨..«§@#
#@¶&&§=~^,                                          ,^~=§&&¶@#
###£¤=;«,¨                                          ¨,«;=¤£###