##@##%*=~-                                          -~=*%##@##
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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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#£%%§††=,,                                          ,,=††§%%£#
##@¤¤*;«^.                                          .^«;*¤¤@##