&£†-~~.,,¨                                          ¨,,.~~-†£&
¤*=~¨,¨.¨.                                          .¨.¨,¨~=*¤
#@@¤*=/~:,                                          ,:~/=*¤@@#
&£==~:.,¨,                                          ,¨,.:~==£&
###§¤**«:,                                          ,:«**¤§###
#@£§£=^»-,                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. ,,¨,,,,;$&
###&$*^~,,                                          ,,~^*$&###
£¤:.¨,¨.¨, my mom is here  now. i  ask her for some ,¨.¨,¨.:¤£
####%=†~., particle board for it  to  dry  on,  but ,.~†=%####
#@&*«:¨,,. she   is   worried   and  wants   me  to .,,¨:«*&@#
@@¤¤@§*«:,              throw it away.              ,:«*§@¤¤@@
##£@¤§^~~¨                                          ¨~~^§¤@£##
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##££§$†=-,                                          ,-=†$§££##
#¤*~~~..¨.                                          .¨..~~~*¤#
###£¤†;«:,                                          ,:«;†¤£###
####*†=»:.                                          .:»=†*####