#&@@§*\-,,                                          ,,-\*§@@&#
##£££%:»,¨                                          ¨,»:%£££##
@@#¤@†*=.,                                          ,.=*†@¤#@@
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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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##%†»,.¨.,                                          ,.¨.,»†%##
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