##£&¤=;~,¨                                          ¨,~;=¤&£##
####§$/-,¨                                          ¨,-/$§####
¤¤$%†-.¨,,                                          ,,¨.-†%$¤¤
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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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