#§%$$=.¨,.                                          .,¨.=$$%§#
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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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@##@&=^=..                                          ..=^=&@##@
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