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