§§@%«¨,¨.¨                                          ¨.¨,¨«%@§§
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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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#^»«~~.¨,.                                          .,¨.~~«»^#
##@@%*:~:.                                          .:~:*%@@##