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