@£:^,¨,..,                                          ,..,¨,^:£@
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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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