,,,¨¨.:†%$                                          $%†:.¨¨,,,
.¨..,^†^¤£                                          £¤^†^,..¨.
¨.¨.~:*§@@                                          @@§*:~.¨.¨
¨..^*§*@##                                          ##@*§*^..¨
,.::†££###                                          ###££†::.,
,~**%@@###                 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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