¶££¤%**-,,                                          ,,-**%¤££¶
¶£%^;-,.¨.                                          .¨.,-;^%£¶
#£§§£*^~~.                                          .~~^*£§§£#
##@&¤^†~-,                                          ,-~†^¤&@##
&§=~=,,,¨.                                          .¨,,,=~=§&
@£#§¤^†»~.                 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 .,~\%$¤§§#
#@*=,¨¨¨¨,              throw it away.              ,¨¨¨¨,=*@#
@$§£:,,¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨,,:£§$@
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##§†~,¨.,.                                          .,.¨,~†§##
@§^~-..,¨,                                          ,¨,..-~^§@
##¶@$%\«^¨                                          ¨^«\%$@¶##
##£$^;;~^.                                          .^~;;^$£##