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