@£@*«=¨,¨,                                          ,¨,¨=«*@£@
#£¤:*†,~.,                                          ,.~,†*:¤£#
¶£%=~=«=-¨                                          ¨-=«=~=%£¶
§*~.,,.¨.,                                          ,.¨.,,.~*§
###£**==^¨                                          ¨^==**£###
##@£§**-,.                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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###£&%:~-,                                          ,-~:%&£###