#$%:~:.,,¨                                          ¨,,.:~:%$#
£=*«,.¨..¨                                          ¨..¨.,«*=£
@§%;~.,,..                                          ..,,.~;%§@
#@$^:~~...                                          ...~~:^$@#
#@¶¤*\~..,                                          ,..~\*¤¶@#
###¶$%*»^,                 statuette                ,^»*%$¶###
##@$%=~.,,                                          ,,.~=%$@##
#@$%:~:¨,, *£*$$¤$$$£$@£*@§~~~--»~=£¤§§%£§£&%£@£$£* ,,¨:~:%$@#
@@^*».,.¨,                $%*%£%*£§                 ,¨.,.»*^@@
%*†=..¨.¨,                                          ,¨.¨..=†*%
££*†-^,,.¨ forests around  my childhood home. thick ¨.,,^-†*££
#@¤†/~,¨¨, pine   arcades  that  were  planted  and ,¨¨,~/†¤@#
##££**-~¨¨       forgotten. wild boars roaming      ¨¨~-**££##
##@¶£%/»^, underneath,  sniffing at  the ground. it ,^»/%£¶@##
#@¶£%†~:¨¨ is  dark  and  moist, the  canopy having ¨¨:~†%£¶@#
#¶£^;~,,¨¨ already   soaked   up   all   the   sun. ¨¨,,~;^£¶#
¶£§†=^,,,¨                                          ¨,,,^=†§£¶
¤^=~^¨¨¨.. there's a  river  passing by, from  east ..¨¨¨^~=^¤
£@*/-~,¨¨. to west, getting  broader and deeper and .¨¨,~-/*@£
@£&$;~,,,, 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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#£*%^~-¨¨,                                          ,¨¨-~^%*£#
#@#@*/=:,¨                                          ¨,:=/*@#@#
###£$†/»:.                                          .:»/†$£###
#@#£%†«,¨.                                          .¨,«†%£#@#