##££$†\=,¨                                          ¨,=\†$££##
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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.      .~~^%*&#@#
&%~~-.¨.,¨                                          ¨,.¨.-~~%&
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###£*$\-,¨                                          ¨,-\$*£###
#@&\,,¨... somethings  moving  in  the grass.  it's ...¨,,\&@#
§£*-..¨,.. invisible to  my  eyes but  i  can  feel ..,¨..-*£§
##£#***»,, through the ground just how large it is. ,,»***#£##
¤&**«,,.¨,                                          ,¨.,,«**&¤
¶@¶£%*;».¨ the soil  is muddy. i  slip  when trying ¨.»;*%£¶@¶
@^†/*;=«-. to   get  up,   still   looking  at  the .-«=;*/†^@
##&£$=/=,, 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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