#@@¤£=;»^,                                          ,^»;=£¤@@#
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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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