#¶@§$:=:¨¨                                          ¨¨:=:$§@¶#
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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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¤$/».,,,¨,                                          ,¨,,,.»/$¤
§\~~¨,¨,.,                                          ,.,¨,¨~~\§
:«,¨¨.¨..¨                                          ¨..¨.¨¨,«:
%†=^¨.,,,,                                          ,,,,.¨^=†%