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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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@¤§/«~«.,.                                          .,.«~«/§¤@
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