##@@££†\-¨                                          ¨-\†££@@##
@§**--,..¨                                          ¨..,--**§@
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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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#£@§~,¨¨..                                          ..¨¨,~§@£#
##£££%=~,,                                          ,,~=%£££##