##££&=*»^¨                                          ¨^»*=&££##
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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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¤¤$@*%^-^.                                          .^-^%*@$¤¤