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