@££%;~^,¨,                                          ,¨,^~;%££@
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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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