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@@§§%**-:¨                                          ¨:-**%§§@@
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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.      ,,¨,=$@£#@
###¤£*;«:,                                          ,:«;*£¤###
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&==~~,¨¨.,                                          ,.¨¨,~~==&
###@&=:~:. somethings moving  in  the  grass.  it's .:~:=&@###
&%^~«~..¨¨ invisible  to my  eyes  but  i can  feel ¨¨..~«~^%&
##@§$^†~,, 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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££%^»-..,.                                          .,..-»^%££