##@@§&§=-¨                                          ¨-=§&§@@##
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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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