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