.,=;§§¤#@#                                          #@#¤§§;=,.
.-«\=%£###                                          ###£%=\«-.
¨,»**§£###                                          ###£§**»,¨
¨-=†§£§¶£@                                          @£¶§£§†=-¨
,:«†*=†*£@                                          @£*†=*†«:,
,¨:,»;*†£#                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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