###¤$=*»,¨                                          ¨,»*=$¤###
###§*^*-,,                                          ,,-*^*§###
##£¤$§^«~,                                          ,~«^§$¤£##
#@#@£==~..                                          ..~==£@#@#
#¤*«¨¨¨,.,                                          ,.,¨¨¨«*¤#
##@@£^†«^.                 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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