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