@#%$=^^.,.                                          .,.^^=$%#@
##£#£%==:,                                          ,:==%£#£##
#^;^¨.¨,,¨                                          ¨,,¨.¨^;^#
##¶&§††~-¨                                          ¨-~††§&¶##
###§$%==,¨                                          ¨,==%$§###
#£§§-,.,,.                 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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###§$%^~-.                                          .-~^%$§###