#¶@¤*†^~~.                                          .~~^†*¤@¶#
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#@#§§†:»:¨                                          ¨:»:†§§#@#
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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.              .¨¨^=%†¤&#
¶£=;†~,,¨,                                          ,¨,,~†;=£¶
#@@@@*†~.¨                                          ¨.~†*@@@@#
&%&$\.^,,,                                          ,,,^.\$&%&
@##@@=/=.,                                          ,.=/=@@##@
###£$$;~~.                                          .~~;$$£###
##£#£$=»^,                                          ,^»=$£#£##