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