#¤£:*,....                                          ....,*:£¤#
###@&%=~^.                                          .^~=%&@###
£&@*~~¨.¨,                                          ,¨.¨~~*@&£
@@#@¤=^~,,                                          ,,~^=¤@#@@
&&¤**†\~,,                                          ,,~\†**¤&&
#@#§$%/~,,                statuette                 ,,~/%$§#@#
#§%*»¨.,¨,                                          ,¨,.¨»*%§#
@¤$=,¨.,.. $&%*£&%¤£&$$£@$%»~==~«~~$§$%§%$&§§**$§£§ ..,.¨,=$¤@
###¤§*;~~,                 @£$*@@££%                ,~~;*§¤###
§¤%»¨¨,,.¨                                          ¨.,,¨¨»%¤§
@¤¤%--¨,¨¨ forests around my childhood home.  thick ¨¨,¨--%¤¤@
###@$*^»~¨ 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.              ¨~«\§%@###
@¤%%^~».¨,                                          ,¨.»~^%%¤@
¤&£&$*^-..                                          ..-^*$&£&¤
@¶@§£§\-,,                                          ,,-\§£§@¶@
£$\~¨..,.,                                          ,.,..¨~\$£
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###£$*=~-.                                          .-~=*$£###