##@@£†=--.                                          .--=†£@@##
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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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