@@%^†=¨,¨,                                          ,¨,¨=†^%@@
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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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