####£%=«-. .-«=%£#### #£§$=;»-¨. .¨-»;=$§£# @&£%*-,,,, ,,,,-*%£&@ &**:~,,¨,. .,¨,,~:**& %†;«-.¨¨,. .,¨¨.-«;†% */--.,..,, STATUETTE ,,..,.--/* \«~,.¨¨¨,, ,,¨¨¨.,~«\ =~..,,¨.,, £§@££$&$%£&*££%$~==»--~~@$&$$£$£&§$&¤§%$ ,,.¨,,..~= ;»~.,,,¨¨. £%%££*%¤& .¨¨,,,.~»; %†=.¨,¨,.¨ ¨.,¨,¨.=†% %%†»,...,¨ FORESTS AROUND MY CHILDHOOD HOME. THICK ¨,...,»†%% £¤*;»:¨¨., PINE ARCADES THAT WERE PLANTED AND ,.¨¨:»;*¤£ @£%†/~-,., FORGOTTEN. WILD BOARS ROAMING ,.,-~/†%£@ ##¤$%†~^., UNDERNEATH, AT THE GROUND SO DARK AFTER ,.^~†%$¤## #@#&&%*~,¨ THE CANOPY HAS STOLEN ALL THE SUN. ¨,~*%&@# @££%$/~:,¨ ¨,:~/$%££@ #@£=^~^.¨, HOWEVER, THERE'S A RIVER PASSING BY, ,¨.^~^=£@# §£^;»~¨,¨, FROM EAST TO WEST, GETTING BROADER AND ,¨,¨~»;^£§ $^*»,.,.,. DEEPER AND SLOWER AS IT GOES. .,.,.,»*^$ **«,.....¨ ¨.....,«** ;=,.,¨¨¨¨, : ,¨¨¨¨,.,=; ~^¨,¨¨,.¨, ,¨.,¨¨,¨^~ :=.,,¨,¨,, 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 HOW ,,.¨¨¨:~;% £%;~...,,. LARGE IT IS. .,,...~;%£ &$%/«.,.¨¨ ¨¨.,.«/%$& £#§^:«-¨¨, THE GROUND IS MUDDY. I SLIP WHEN TRYING ,¨¨-«:^§#£ @#¤¤%^~~,¨ TO GET UP, STILL LOOKING AT THE ¨,~~^%¤¤#@ ##£@£§*«,. DIRECTION OF SOUND RATHER AT MY HANDS, .,«*§£@£## @¶¤$%*-:.¨ WHO ARE PUTTING THINGS IN MY POCKETS. ¨.:-*%$¤¶@ £££$==:..¨ ¨..:==$£££ @@$\»,,,,. THEN I RUN EAST TOWARD MY HOME. .,,,,»\$@@ ¤**«....,, ,,....«**¤ ^/~,..¨,,. = .,,¨..,~/^ :»,¨.¨,.,, ,,.,¨.¨,»: »:¨.¨¨,.., I AM NOT FOLLOWED. I SLOW DOWN IN THE ,..,¨¨.¨:» ;~,,¨,¨¨.. CLEARING WHERE YOU AT FIRST SEE THE ..¨¨,¨,,~; %*~:,,¨..¨ HOUSE, NOT YET REALLY IN THE BACKYARD. ¨..¨,,:~*% £=*~,¨¨¨., FROM MY POCKETS I RETRIEVE MY RADIO ,.¨¨¨,~*=£ &%%†=^,,,, (NOW DENTED) BUT ALSO A SMALL CLAY ,,,,^=†%%& ¶#¤%;--.¨. FIGURE. .¨.--;%¤#¶ ##£%%\~:., ,.:~\%%£## ##¶££=*~., IT'S A STATUETTE OF A GIRL LAYING NAKED ,.~*=££¶## @@#&$;~,,, ON HER STOMACH, FEET IN THE AIR. 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 WANTS ME TO THROW IT AWAY. ¨.¨,¨,.^~^ =,¨,..¨,¨¨ ¨¨,¨..,¨,= †=~..,¨¨,. .,¨¨,..~=† %/~,¨,,,,, ,,,,,¨,~/% *^=»,,¨.,. .,.¨,,»=^* §*†*«,,,,. .,,,,«*†*§ #¤£$:-.,., ,.,.-:$£¤#