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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.              .,«\%¤@££#
##@£§%:~,¨                                          ¨,~:%§£@##
¶¤@£¤*/-:¨                                          ¨:-/*¤£@¤¶
###¤%*^«-¨                                          ¨-«^*%¤###
#@@@&=^»:,                                          ,:»^=&@@@#
####$=*»-.                                          .-»*=$####
##¶#@§;«.¨                                          ¨.«;§@#¶##