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