£*$†=,¨¨¨.                                          .¨¨¨,=†$*£
##¤%\=:¨,¨                                          ¨,¨:=\%¤##
#@&*%:-^¨,                                          ,¨^-:%*&@#
##@@£§^«^,                                          ,^«^§£@@##
#£¤%%^~:,.                                          .,:~^%%¤£#
@&$=^~^...                statuette                 ...^~^=$&@
#@%=~,.,..                                          ..,.,~=%@#
@*\-~.¨.¨, %$@$£§$§%&*$%$£&~~»-~~«=¤%@&¤£§£$££¤*$¤% ,¨.¨.~-\*@
$*«,¨,.¨¨.                &£%%$$*&$                 .¨¨.,¨,«*$
@%\~~¨¨.¨.                                          .¨.¨¨~~\%@
§@§=»,,,.. forests  around my childhood home. thick ..,,,»=§@§
££$$\~:¨¨, 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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&%†»:..,¨,                                          ,¨,..:»†%&
%†-^¨.,.¨,                                          ,¨.,.¨^-†%