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