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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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@#£&%%†~.,                                          ,.~†%%&£#@