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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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