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