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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.                .:~:$$¤##@
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##@¤$%;=,¨                    =                     ¨,=;%$¤@##
@&¤;.,¨.,.                                          .,.¨,.;¤&@
##£&&=;»^, the riverbanks  reek  of magic.  tonight ,^»;=&&£##
@§†-.,,,,. they  had  been a swampworld with sylvan .,,,,.-†§@
&¤%*~~.~,¨ water,  stone rings  and  floating moss. ¨,~.~~*%¤&
###&%$;~-¨ you could've  found  me wallowing around ¨-~;$%&###
£¤§§;*-,:¨ on  the  southern  shores  until  i  got ¨:,-*;§§¤£
@&£%;.~,,,                  bitten.                 ,,,~.;%£&@
@@£†\*/~^.                                          .^~/*\†£@@
#@#££†^»,. but  now  i'm  further  back,  on  solid .,»^†££#@#
#@#§@†:-^¨ ground,  in shoulder-high grass, with an ¨^-:†@§#@#
###@@^†-,, orange  tin  radio  and  a   translucent ,,-†^@@###
¶$*«¨,,¨.,      umbrella which i'm sitting on.      ,.¨,,¨«*$¶
##@#¤=\-:.                                          .:-\=¤#@##
#@£@$**~^.                     ^                    .^~**$@£@#
@@§@%-,¨¨,                                          ,¨¨,-%@§@@
¤&£:-,~,¨, somethings  moving  in  the  grass. it's ,¨,~,-:£&¤
@¶§#%%\=:¨ invisible to my  eyes  but  i  can  feel ¨:=\%%#§¶@
###@¤*;«~, through the ground just how large it is. ,~«;*¤@###
###£$$:~,.                                          .,~:$$£###
¶&£¤§*:~^, the soil is muddy.  i  slip  when trying ,^~:*§¤£&¶
@£&%*%\«,¨ to   get  up,   still  looking  at   the ¨,«\%*%&£@
##@@$%\«,, direction  of  sound  rather than  at my ,,«\%$@@##
@¶£§%~-.¨¨ hands, who are  busy  putting things  in ¨¨.-~%§£¶@
@@@£¤†/-~¨                my pockets.               ¨~-/†¤£@@@
##£§%%†~-¨                                          ¨-~†%%§£##
££@£§*;-,¨ then  i  run  east   toward   my   home. ¨,-;*§£@££
###§*%†=,.                                          .,=†%*§###
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#&#$$%^~-.                                          .-~^%$$#&#
#@@¤$§=~., i am not followed, and slow down  in the ,.~=§$¤@@#
@&†*:¨,¨., 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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