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