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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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