#£@%*«,.¨.                                          .¨.,«*%@£#
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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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