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