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