#£§†=-.,,,                                          ,,,.-=†§£#
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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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