.-~-~«=§££                                          ££§=«~-~-.
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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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,-=;^£#@##                                          ##@#£^;=-,