###@@=»,.¨                                          ¨.,»=@@###
###¶@$†~-¨                                          ¨-~†$@¶###
##¶§£:~...                                          ...~:£§¶##
#¶@%†«~¨,.                                          .,¨~«†%@¶#
@£$\~,.¨¨.                                          .¨¨.,~\$£@
@&/»:¨.,..                 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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££†«,¨¨.,.                                          .,.¨¨,«†££
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