.¨.¨-~;%&&                                          &&%;~-¨.¨.
¨,¨¨.:~:$@                                          @$:~:.¨¨,¨
,,¨¨:~\%$&                                          &$%\~:¨¨,,
.¨.,-\*§£#                                          #£§*\-,.¨.
¨.,~***§##                                          ##§***~,.¨
¨,=:$¤@£##                 statuette                ##£@¤$:=,¨
¨¨-=^*@&##                                          ##&@*^=-¨¨
¨...«*%$£¶ @§£$$¤*§£§£¤%£*$~==~-=-=%*¤&@%&£%*¤¤$§¤§ ¶£$%*«...¨
¨,.¨,~/*¤#                $£$$&$§£@                 #¤*/~,¨.,¨
,,¨.¨,«:†£                                          £†:«,¨.¨,,
,¨,,.«=†@@ forests around my childhood home.  thick @@†=«.,,¨,
..,,»†=$§£ 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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