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###¶#£:-.,                 statuette                ,.-:£#¶###
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##£@£$/=,. $*£$%%&%$§£%$@%£-»»»~==«§££$&$¤$&*@%£$£§ .,=/$£@£##
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###££=:~,. forests  around my childhood home. thick .,~:=££###
#@¤$^..,,¨ 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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