£§\»¨¨,,,,                                          ,,,,¨¨»\§£
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###@@§%*~.                 statuette                .~*%§@@###
##£@£*\»-.                                          .-»\*£@£##
§#$=^¨,¨,¨ ¤*£%*&&*£$¤&$¤&*«««~«~~~&£%££$&%*¤@££§%& ¨,¨,¨^=$#§
§%-»¨,,.,.                %%¤¤%%@&£                 .,.,,¨»-%§
#&^^«»..,.                                          .,..»«^^&#
##@¤%*/«:, forests around my childhood  home. thick ,:«/*%¤@##
&&/«,^..¨. pine   arcades  that  were  planted  and .¨..^,«/&&
###@§%=»..       forgotten. wild boars roaming      ..»=%§@###
£†=:^.^.¨¨ underneath,  sniffing at  the ground. it ¨¨.^.^:=†£
###@&=\«-. is dark  and  moist, the  canopy  having .-«\=&@###
¶*%=§*^-.. already   soaked   up   all   the   sun. ..-^*§=%*¶
@£\^,:.,,¨                                          ¨,,.:,^\£@
##£#%§†»-¨ there's a  river  passing  by, from east ¨-»†§%#£##
#@@#%*;»., to west,  getting broader and deeper and ,.»;*%#@@#
¤£;«:--^¨¨ slower  as it goes.  equisetum grow just ¨¨^--:«;£¤
###&%^*-~. where   the  pine  hands  start  to  let .~-*^%&###
££&&£^*~^¨ through light,  horsemint  on  the rocky ¨^~*^£&&££
###&£%^=^¨                river bed.                ¨^=^%£&###
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###§*%/»~.                     /                    .~»/%*§###
£&£*§=:,~,                                          ,~,:=§*£&£
#@#@$^†«^¨ 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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