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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.              .~=^§&£¤¤&
@§&†-.,..¨                                          ¨..,.-†&§@
§=*^%»^.,,                                          ,,.^»%^*=§
§#*~««.,,,                                          ,,,.««~*#§
#=;\,,,,.¨                                          ¨.,,,,\;=#
#£&§$†;«.,                                          ,.«;†$§&£#
##@¤&%*-^.                                          .^-*%&¤@##