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