#@##$$†~-,                                          ,-~†$$##@#
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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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