#¤%%^*\=:.                                          .:=\*^%%¤#
@@£*~,.¨,¨                                          ¨,¨.,~*£@@
@@@#@%;=:,                                          ,:=;%@#@@@
##£££%*~-.                                          .-~*%£££##
@#@§**^~.¨                                          ¨.~^**§@#@
@¤**=~~-:¨                 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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###@£*^~,.                                          .,~^*£@###