%%:«,,,.., ,..,,,«:%% ££==~~¨.,. .,.¨~~==££ @§£§^-,,,. .,,,-^§£§@ #@£§%†«:¨, ,¨:«†%§£@# #@£§§%*«.¨ ¨.«*%§§£@# @£&£^=«~¨, 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. ¨.¨-~/^§&@ ###$*=~^¨, ,¨^~=*$### #@#£%%;=~. .~=;%%£#@# ##£&%;«.¨. .¨.«;%&£## ¶#%†/»,.¨, ,¨.,»/†%#¶ &**†«-..,¨ ¨,..-«†**& £§†».,¨¨.¨ ¨.¨¨,.»†§£