#@@¤£*\«^,                                          ,^«\*£¤@@#
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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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