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