#@¶£%=\»:,                                          ,:»\=%£¶@#
@†»~«-¨¨,.                                          .,¨¨-«~»†@
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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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@†*~,,¨¨,.                                          .,¨¨,,~*†@
##¶££^:«.,                                          ,.«:^££¶##