###@¤%\»,¨                                          ¨,»\%¤@###
#@@@%;«,,,                                          ,,,«;%@@@#
@£&%;~,...                                          ...,~;%&£@
¶@^==,¨¨,¨                                          ¨,¨¨,==^@¶
@#@^==^..¨                                          ¨..^==^@#@
##@&†^~,¨,                 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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