#@#¤@§:»~¨                                          ¨~»:§@¤#@#
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#@¶&$%;-,¨                                          ¨,-;%$&¶@#
##¶#&†:=^.                                          .^=:†&#¶##
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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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