##@@§*†»:,                                          ,:»†*§@@##
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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 ¨^»**§§###
#@#¤$†=«,,      umbrella which i'm sitting on.      ,,«=†$¤#@#
£§§=*~,-,¨                                          ¨,-,~*=§§£
#£§£\~..,¨                     =                    ¨,..~\£§£#
&†:\«:,-:,                                          ,:-,:«\:†&
##@§£%\~.. 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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