#@£&%^-,,,                                          ,,,-^%&£@#
#@@@%^:»~,                                          ,~»:^%@@@#
@@§£*†~^,¨                                          ¨,^~†*£§@@
¶§$*;-^¨,.                                          .,¨^-;*$§¶
##@§**-^,,                                          ,,^-**§@##
##@£$=:--,                statuette                 ,--:=$£@##
@#§$†^~-¨,                                          ,¨-~^†$§#@
@#&%;=:,¨. £$$*@*$$§£%%¤£%£~~«==»=~@$£%¤%¤££*%$£¤££ .¨,:=;%&#@
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##¶§*§;»-,                                          ,-»;§*§¶##
#@#%$^~^¨¨ forests around my  childhood home. thick ¨¨^~^$%#@#
¶§*^/»~¨.. 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.              ¨.,»;†%&@#
##@£&^;=..                                          ..=;^&£@##
##¤£^\».¨¨                                          ¨¨.»\^£¤##
¶#%%=»^,¨.                                          .¨,^»=%%#¶
@¶#¤%==^,.                                          .,^==%¤#¶@
#@£&¤*:-:,                                          ,:-:*¤&£@#
@##*§;«~¨,                                          ,¨~«;§*##@