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