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