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