###£&=\~~,                                          ,~~\=&£###
###@@=:-:,                                          ,:-:=@@###
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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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