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@&@@¤†\~-¨                statuette                 ¨-~\†¤@@&@
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@£§%»~¨.¨. %$*%$£§%$§$$£$¤¤~-=~«~~~$¤$@*%$£%£*%¤£$% .¨.¨~»%§£@
£§¤$*/*=^,                 ¤*£%$%£%£                ,^=*/*$¤§£
##*§:\/~,.                                          .,~/\:§*##
§%~-,,,,,¨ forests around  my childhood home. thick ¨,,,,,-~%§
####&†:»^¨ pine  arcades  that  were  planted   and ¨^»:†&####
##*$%%\=,.       forgotten. wild boars roaming      .,=\%%$*##
£††^¨¨¨.., underneath, sniffing at  the  ground. it ,..¨¨¨^††£
##¶§$%==,, is  dark  and  moist,  the canopy having ,,==%$§¶##
#$%«=^,,.. already   soaked   up   all   the   sun. ..,,^=«%$#
@§«,,.¨.,,                                          ,,.¨.,,«§@
¶&£@£§*~:. there's a  river  passing  by, from east .:~*§£@£&¶
¤§*†-,...¨ to  west, getting broader and deeper and ¨...,-†*§¤
##£§%*;=-. slower  as it goes. equisetum grow  just .-=;*%§£##
¶¶&§/~~»,. where  the  pine  hands   start  to  let .,»~~/§&¶¶
#@££§$:»:¨ through  light,  horsemint on  the rocky ¨:»:$§££@#
£#§/:.¨.¨,                river bed.                ,¨.¨.:/§#£
¶§&§§»=,,¨                                          ¨,,=»§§&§¶
##@&¤†=«,,                    \                     ,,«=†¤&@##
###¤£^/=-,                                          ,-=/^£¤###
@@&;«-.¨,, the  riverbanks reek  of magic.  tonight ,,¨.-«;&@@
##¶£¤*†»,¨ they had  been a swampworld  with sylvan ¨,»†*¤£¶##
###§¤%=«.. water,  stone rings and  floating  moss. ..«=%¤§###
#†=,¨¨,,,, you  could've  found me wallowing around ,,,,¨¨,=†#
#&$;~,,.¨¨ on  the  southern  shores  until  i  got ¨¨.,,~;$&#
#@£¤£*\~,,                 bitten.                  ,,~\*£¤£@#
##@@#§;~^.                                          .^~;§#@@##
##¶&§*;«~. but  now  i'm  further  back,  on  solid .~«;*§&¶##
##¶@£^==,¨ ground,  in shoulder-high grass, with an ¨,==^£@¶##
##@§%†*~:. orange  tin  radio  and   a  translucent .:~*†%§@##
@#^~.,,,..      umbrella which i'm sitting on.      ..,,,.~^#@
#@##$$\-:.                                          .:-\$$##@#
@&†%$~.¨.,                    \                     ,.¨.~$%†&@
###@%$/~,,                                          ,,~/$%@###
§§»~.¨,,,¨ 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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#£#$†~--¨.                                          .¨--~†$#£#
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@†*/»-.,,.                                          .,,.-»/*†@