¶§$^~:¨,¨.                                          .¨,¨:~^$§¶
#££&*;«¨,,                                          ,,¨«;*&££#
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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 ¨~«~-\=$#£
§%/:===.¨, she  is   worried   and   wants   me  to ,¨.===:/%§
¶£%%=.,.¨¨              throw it away.              ¨¨.,.=%%£¶
#*~»-.¨.,¨                                          ¨,.¨.-»~*#
###@%%;--¨                                          ¨--;%%@###
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¤^==-»¨.,.                                          .,.¨»-==^¤
@@%%†=«.¨,                                          ,¨.«=†%%@@
@$§%:\^«.,                                          ,.«^\:%§$@