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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   ##£#£$^»,¨
.-»=†£@@@# freshly made, not yet  completely dried. #@@@£†=»-.
..»\*$£#@@                                          @@#£$*\»..
,,,¨.†*%§@ my  mom  is here now. i ask her for some @§%*†.¨,,,
¨,.,~«^£&@ particle board for  it  to  dry on,  but @&£^«~,.,¨
.,=^†:%¤£@ she   is  worried   and  wants   me   to @£¤%:†^=,.
,:-††&£¶##              throw it away.              ##¶£&††-:,
¨:~:%%@¶@#                                          #@¶@%%:~:¨
¨,«*†$§£##                                          ##£§$†*«,¨
,¨,..,,†$#                                          #$†,,..,¨,
.:«;§%¤@##                                          ##@¤%§;«:.
¨-=/^@%£@#                                          #@£%@^/=-¨
,,¨::;*%§§                                          §§%*;::¨,,