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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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.,=^†§$£¶@                                          @¶£$§†^=,.