@@@£:=,.,,                                          ,,.,=:£@@@
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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. ,,..«;%§@@
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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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