##@#$*/--¨                                          ¨--/*$#@##
@@*%~¨,.,.                                          .,.,¨~%*@@
##@#£§:~^,                                          ,^~:§£#@##
##@¤¤%/~,.                                          .,~/%¤¤@##
£*-,.¨,,¨¨                                          ¨¨,,¨.,-*£
##@&$†;=~,                 statuette                ,~=;†$&@##
@¶¤%†«...,                                          ,...«†%¤¶@
##$:»,.¨¨. *£*£$%%%$££@*$££»-~«~~»=%%%%£$§$$@¤£%£&@ .¨¨.,»:$##
£¶@§£%\~^.                 §@*£%¤¤%&                .^~\%£§@¶£
##¶#*†==:¨                                          ¨:==†*#¶##
###£§*=»^. forests  around my childhood home. thick .^»=*§£###
@$§==¨,¨,¨ pine  arcades  that  were   planted  and ¨,¨,¨==§$@
@¤;\-.,,¨.      forgotten. wild boars roaming       .¨,,.-\;¤@
##££%§*=~. underneath, sniffing  at the ground.  it .~=*§%££##
¶$$/~,.¨¨¨ 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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&$^~:.¨,¨¨                                          ¨¨,¨.:~^$&