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