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