#¶¤@*\~-,,                                          ,,-~\*@¤¶#
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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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%*\~.¨¨,.,                                          ,.,¨¨.~\*%
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#¶&£*\»,,,                                          ,,,»\*£&¶#