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