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