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