@%\«,,,¨,.                                          .,¨,,,«\%@
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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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