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