#£%%*~^,¨¨                                          ¨¨,^~*%%£#
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##@££%†»,.                                          .,»†%££@##
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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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