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