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