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