##@#£†*».¨                                          ¨.»*†£#@##
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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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