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