@@#$*†~-,.                                          .,-~†*$#@@
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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.              ¨.~~;*%§@@
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