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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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###@#^\-,,                                          ,,-\^#@###
££*/*:«~..                                          ..~«:*/*££