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