#@@&$§*=,¨                                          ¨,=*§$&@@#
@$*~«.,¨.¨                                          ¨.¨,.«~*$@
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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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&*§~¨¨,¨¨,                                          ,¨¨,¨¨~§*&