#¶&*†*~.¨¨                                          ¨¨.~*†*&¶#
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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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