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