¶¤$%†*~,,,                                          ,,,~*†%$¤¶
##@¶$*/-,¨                                          ¨,-/*$¶@##
###¤£^=~~,                                          ,~~=^£¤###
@#*-~~~,¨.                                          .¨,~~~-*#@
¶$^=.,.¨.¨                                          ¨.¨.,.=^$¶
##@@&†^~.¨                 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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@¤@£¤%\~,.                                          .,~\%¤£@¤@