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