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