#@@£§$†«..                                          ..«†$§£@@#
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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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