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