##£&%%=~,,                                          ,,~=%%&£##
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@¤£^/«~¨.¨                                          ¨.¨~«/^£¤@
#@¤§%†-:,.                                          .,:-†%§¤@#
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@#@£†^«^,¨                 statuette                ¨,^«^†£@#@
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#@£$%*«,.¨ ¤££$@§*%£$%%%$%*-~=~==-=¤£*£%$¤@£@£$&&@% ¨.,«*%$£@#
###£%*:«,,                $%$$§$&§&                 ,,«:*%£###
#@£%^^-.,.                                          .,.-^^%£@#
¶§§=:«-,,. 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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#@¤=†-~,..                                          ..,~-†=¤@#