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