@#*†:~:..¨                                          ¨..:~:†*#@
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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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