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