#*^~:,~,.¨                                          ¨.,~,:~^*#
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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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§@=:~¨,,.¨                                          ¨.,,¨~:=@§