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