@#$/«^,..¨                                          ¨..,^«/$#@
¤¤¤=%*/»-.                                          .-»/*%=¤¤¤
###¤=/.,..                                          ..,./=¤###
£##@*=^~:.                                          .:~^=*@##£
###¤£^;-~.                                          .~-;^£¤###
#§§*==,.,,                 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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§$:~.¨,.,,                                          ,,.,¨.~:$§