#¶££†^«.¨¨                                          ¨¨.«^†££¶#
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@¤£^;«^¨.,                                          ,.¨^«;^£¤@
##¤$$=~~¨.                                          .¨~~=$$¤##
##@§@$/~:,                 statuette                ,:~/$@§@##
#@§$††~-¨,                                          ,¨-~††$§@#
£¤$*;=,.¨. *%%$$££%%$£@¤&@%~-~--«~-¤$*@£&¤$£&@$%%£$ .¨.,=;*$¤£
&$%\~-¨..¨                &$£*%&@&@                 ¨..¨-~\%$&
@@¤*^~:,¨.                                          .¨,:~^*¤@@
##££$\-,., forests around  my childhood home. thick ,.,-\$££##
###&@%;~^¨ pine  arcades  that   were  planted  and ¨^~;%@&###
##@*%:~~.,       forgotten. wild boars roaming      ,.~~:%*@##
#¤%*^~~.¨, underneath, sniffing at  the ground.  it ,¨.~~^*%¤#
¤£=†-..,,, is dark  and  moist,  the  canopy having ,,,..-†=£¤
#&%%;~^¨¨, already   soaked   up   all   the   sun. ,¨¨^~;%%&#
###£^\»...                                          ...»\^£###
##££%*=~,, there's a river  passing by,  from  east ,,~=*%££##
##&$§^=^,, 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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#¶@*§:=:¨¨                                          ¨¨:=:§*@¶#