@¤£†^/^,.¨                                          ¨.,^/^†£¤@
##£¤$=;«-.                                          .-«;=$¤£##
#@#§§$^=..                                          ..=^$§§#@#
§%§==«.¨¨,                                          ,¨¨.«==§%§
####£=†~~,                                          ,~~†=£####
###@*^*=,,                 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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