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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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