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