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