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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 .-~^%$¤##@
@@¶&£%;»^,              throw it away.              ,^»;%£&¶@@
@@†~,¨,.,¨                                          ¨,.,¨,~†@@
##@¤@^:«,¨                                          ¨,«:^@¤@##
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£$=,.¨,¨¨.                                          .¨¨,¨.,=$£