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