#@£#¤§:«,¨                                          ¨,«:§¤#£@#
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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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##@&%*/=^.                                          .^=/*%&@##