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