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