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