##@@%*/=-,                                          ,-=/*%@@##
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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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