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