#@#£§=~~¨,                                          ,¨~~=§£#@#
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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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