§¨@..¤@,.#                                          §,¤¨&@,&@.
§.¤¨§,¤¨££                                          &.§.¨&.,£.
#¨¤¨&.&¨¨@                                          ¤¨¤.§#¨@#¨
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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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£.§.#.#,,#                                          @.¤,&§¨¤&¨