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