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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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