@§†~.¨¨.,.                                          .,.¨¨.~†§@
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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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