##@$=†--,¨                                          ¨,--†=$@##
##£#¤*:~^,                                          ,^~:*¤#£##
###£§/-~.¨                                          ¨.~-/§£###
#&$*^«~¨.¨                                          ¨.¨~«^*$&#
¤@=/=,.¨,.                                          .,¨.,=/=@¤
$%^»-,,..,                 statuette                ,..,,-»^%$
§*~,,.,.,.                                          .,.,.,,~*§
¤†/--...,¨ $£%%$&&%&££%%£@£-««==~-~$¤&%$£££%§&&%$¤& ¨,...--/†¤
&%^*~,.¨,,                 ¤¤%£%%*£%                ,,¨.,~*^%&
¶§%†*~,..,                                          ,..,~*†%§¶
#@&@^*=:., forests around my childhood home.  thick ,.:=*^@&@#
##£#&%:~,¨ pine  arcades  that  were   planted  and ¨,~:%&#£##
#@#%**-,¨.       forgotten. wild boars roaming      .¨,-**%#@#
#£§§=~^¨,, underneath,  sniffing at the  ground. it ,,¨^~=§§£#
£@*:=,,¨.¨ is  dark  and moist, the  canopy  having ¨.¨,,=:*@£
¤%*~~..¨,, already   soaked   up   all   the   sun. ,,¨..~~*%¤
*^-~,,...¨                                          ¨...,,~-^*
&=*-,¨,,,¨ there's a river  passing  by,  from east ¨,,,¨,-*=&
&@=^~,,.¨, to west, getting broader and deeper  and ,¨.,,~^=@&
#&$*:«^,,¨ 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.              ¨,~~*$%@¶#
##$§=~,¨.¨                                          ¨.¨,~=§$##
@%%*«-.¨¨.                                          .¨¨.-«*%%@
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$=~~.¨,,.,                                          ,.,,¨.~~=$
$^*«,¨,,¨.                                          .¨,,¨,«*^$
§£†*-.,¨,.                                          .,¨,.-*†£§