####%$†~.¨                                          ¨.~†$%####
#@@§£^/»^,                                          ,^»/^£§@@#
@¤¤§$%;«,,                                          ,,«;%$§¤¤@
##@@£==«-¨                                          ¨-«==£@@##
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###¤*^:=,.                statuette                 .,=:^*¤###
#¤$$§§^«.¨                                          ¨.«^§§$$¤#
####%%:»,¨ $$%*£¤*@¤¤£@%%¤&~=~~»«-~**@§*%¤@§$§§$&%§ ¨,»:%%####
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##@&%=^«^,                                          ,^«^=%&@##
#£#%«¨..,¨ 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 ¨^~*%*@@@#
#@@#$§/=-, she  is   worried   and   wants  me   to ,-=/§$#@@#
§%%$==^,,¨              throw it away.              ¨,,^==$%%§
£¤*%&^/«,¨                                          ¨,«/^&%*¤£
#£@§**†=^.                                          .^=†**§@£#
¶$=--¨¨¨,¨                                          ¨,¨¨¨--=$¶
#&$§§^«^,.                                          .,^«^§§$&#
###£$§:«..                                          ..«:§$£###
£§%».¨,¨.¨                                          ¨.¨,¨.»%§£