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