##¶@&%;:.¨                                          ¨.:;%&@¶##
###@#%^*,¨                                          ¨,*^%#@###
#@@£*%:~.,                                          ,.~:%*£@@#
##@§††:¨¨,                                          ,¨¨:††§@##
¶&%**.,¨,.                                          .,¨,.**%&¶
&$$\,.,..¨                 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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@¤£††~¨,.¨                                          ¨.,¨~††£¤@