#@@¤§%:-:,                                          ,:-:%§¤@@#
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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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