#@¶§%$*»,.                                          .,»*$%§¶@#
#@#*§\«^¨.                                          .¨^«\§*#@#
@@&^=»,,¨.                                          .¨,,»=^&@@
##£&†=«,¨.                                          .¨,«=†&£##
##£&¤==~..                                          ..~==¤&£##
##£$*;».¨.                statuette                 .¨.»;*$£##
#@§%=-~,,¨                                          ¨,,~-=%§@#
#@¤$§^~-¨¨ §$&*£%%$§%%$%%&@~«=-»==«%*&¤££**%$¤@$%&£ ¨¨-~^§$¤@#
##@¤$§†~-.                %&&*%%@£$                 .-~†§$¤@##
#@¤*^\=^,,                                          ,,^=\^*¤@#
@£§^†~,¨.¨ forests  around my childhood home. thick ¨.¨,~†^§£@
#@££*^«-¨¨ pine  arcades  that   were  planted  and ¨¨-«^*££@#
##@@§*:~^.      forgotten. wild boars roaming       .^~:*§@@##
@@#§=†~~,¨ underneath,  sniffing  at the ground. it ¨,~~†=§#@@
£§§^\~^.¨. is  dark  and moist,  the canopy  having .¨.^~\^§§£
@@&§$†»~¨¨ 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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@#%=/=,¨..                                          ..¨,=/=%#@