###@@^†»,¨                                          ¨,»†^@@###
##$==*,:-,                                          ,-:,*==$##
¶@%^=~¨.¨,                                          ,¨.¨~=^%@¶
#@&^-.,¨,¨                                          ¨,¨,.-^&@#
##£#$$\~,,                                          ,,~\$$#£##
¶$*--¨.,,,                statuette                 ,,,.¨--*$¶
#†%~:¨...,                                          ,...¨:~%†#
§£%†~.¨..¨ %%$*££%£%§££**££«=»»~~«-%£$$$¤£%¤%*£$*$£ ¨..¨.~†%£§
¶%&/~~.¨,¨                £$$£**%§%                 ¨,¨.~~/&%¶
#£#§***«,¨                                          ¨,«***§#£#
#####%*»-, forests around my childhood home.  thick ,-»*%#####
§¤\^^=:,,. pine  arcades   that  were  planted  and .,,:=^^\¤§
##@¤%*†-.¨       forgotten. wild boars roaming      ¨.-†*%¤@##
£&†~^¨¨,., underneath,  sniffing at the ground.  it ,.,¨¨^~†&£
##£¤%$;~^¨ is dark  and  moist,  the  canopy having ¨^~;$%¤£##
@#@&$§;-.. already   soaked   up   all   the   sun. ..-;§$&@#@
##@#¤==~:¨                                          ¨:~==¤#@##
§*~~,,,¨,, there's a  river passing  by,  from east ,,¨,,,~~*§
@###&%:«:, to west, getting  broader and deeper and ,:«:%&###@
####§*\-.¨ slower as it goes. equisetum  grow  just ¨.-\*§####
##@&%*†«,¨ where  the  pine  hands  start   to  let ¨,«†*%&@##
#@@¤&%*«^, through  light, horsemint  on the  rocky ,^«*%&¤@@#
###@%*:-^,                river bed.                ,^-:*%@###
@@#@%$/-..                                          ..-/$%@#@@
£=;»~¨,...                     ;                    ...,¨~»;=£
##@@%^*~,¨                                          ¨,~*^%@@##
@¤=/*«¨.¨, the  riverbanks reek  of  magic. tonight ,¨.¨«*/=¤@
#@¶££%;=^. they had  been a  swampworld with sylvan .^=;%££¶@#
##@£§*/=-¨ water,  stone rings  and floating  moss. ¨-=/*§£@##
£§$§\-~.,, you could've  found me wallowing  around ,,.~-\§$§£
@#¶£$=\=., on  the  southern  shores  until  i  got ,.=\=$£¶#@
£%¤%*»-»-,                  bitten.                 ,-»-»*%¤%£
£$$«,.¨,,¨                                          ¨,,¨.,«$$£
#$*%%**~,, but  now  i'm  further  back,  on  solid ,,~**%%*$#
##¶¤%$=~~. ground, in  shoulder-high grass, with an .~~=$%¤¶##
@#£¤$$:«^¨ 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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