#@@*^^,~~¨                                          ¨~~,^^*@@#
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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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