##£&£*;=^.                                          .^=;*£&£##
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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 .,¨~-;$%£@
£&†:«^,,¨, backyard. from my pockets  i retrieve my ,¨,,^«:†&£
@£**;«-¨,¨ radio  (now  dented)  but  also  a small ¨,¨-«;**£@
#@£§*;~^¨, clay figure  i've never seen before.  it ,¨^~;*§£@#
##¶£¤%\-,, must have  been laying in the wet  dirt, ,,-\%¤£¶##
##&£%*~,.. and  i  must've  picked it  up  with  my ..,~*%£&##
£@&=;=:¨.¨            other belongings.             ¨.¨:=;=&@£
@£†;~,¨,,,                                          ,,,¨,~;†£@
£#£†:~..¨. it's a statuette  of a girl laying naked .¨..~:†£#£
##&£§:~,.¨ on  her  stomach,  feet  in   the   air, ¨.,~:§£&##
#@@@@%=-:.   roughly seven centimeters long. it's   .:-=%@@@@#
##§£**«,,. freshly made, not yet  completely dried. .,,«**£§##
£@§*;~~¨.¨                                          ¨.¨~~;*§@£
#%†^-~¨.,. my mom is here now. i ask  her  for some .,.¨~-^†%#
£#*%^»,.,¨ particle  board for it  to dry  on,  but ¨,.,»^%*#£
@#¤£%\~,,. she   is   worried   and   wants  me  to .,,~\%£¤#@
#@@#¤%/-,,              throw it away.              ,,-/%¤#@@#
#@§*††-,.,                                          ,.,-††*§@#
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#@£¤$=^~.,                                          ,.~^=$¤£@#