@%§^=.¨.,¨                                          ¨,.¨.=^§%@
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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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