¤¤*~».:,,¨                                          ¨,,:.»~*¤¤
#@#@¤†;~,,                                          ,,~;†¤@#@#
@@#§$^*~~.                                          .~~*^$§#@@
#^;†-,...,                                          ,...,-†;^#
¤£§=†~-^,,                                          ,,^-~†=§£¤
##@@#$%^«,                statuette                 ,«^%$#@@##
###£$==»~¨                                          ¨~»==$£###
##¶¤@**-.. £$%¤%%&@§££$$@§§~~-~=»«»$££&£§&@£&$@§%§§ ..-**@¤¶##
£§†::...¨,                *%§*@$%%%                 ,¨...::†§£
#%£*~=«¨..                                          ..¨«=~*£%#
#¤*%;»¨.,, forests  around my childhood home. thick ,,.¨»;%*¤#
###&£†:~~. pine  arcades  that  were   planted  and .~~:†£&###
&^=,,,.¨.,       forgotten. wild boars roaming      ,.¨.,,,=^&
###§@^:~,. underneath,  sniffing at the  ground. it .,~:^@§###
#@@£==,.¨, is  dark  and moist,  the  canopy having ,¨.,==£@@#
##£#$*\~-¨ 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 ....¨¨~*$&
###@%†\~~,              throw it away.              ,~~\†%@###
@§¤§$%;»~.                                          .~»;%$§¤§@
#@£#**/~^¨                                          ¨^~/**#£@#
###@£*=»:.                                          .:»=*£@###
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##@§@%*«,.                                          .,«*%@§@##
#@£#&$:-,.                                          .,-:$&#£@#