@£*^/~.,¨¨                                          ¨¨,.~/^*£@
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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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