@&^\,.,,¨¨                                          ¨¨,,.,\^&@
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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.              ¨,=\§$&@@#
@%§^†^¨¨¨.                                          .¨¨¨^†^§%@
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#@¶@&*=-,,                                          ,,-=*&@¶@#
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##@£$*†-~.                                          .~-†*$£@##