####*§==:.                                          .:==§*####
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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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