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