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