&§,&&.¨¨,¨ ¨£,#¤¨¤..¨ #§¨##&¨¨¨, ,,,&§.,&.¨ §&¨§.##,¨¨ #¨,@§¤.,§, @@¨,¨##£.. ,&¨§,&&.,¨ §§¤,.@¨¤&, ..,,,&£¤.¨ ¤,¤@,¨¨&£¤ 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. .@@,¨.§§#¨ .,,&¤£..¨, ,#§@.¨#,£¤ @.¨@¨£§¨,¨ ,£¨#¤.¨¨## ¤§¨..¤¤#¨, ¨¨.&£¤,¨&, @¤&..¤,##, .,¨£¨£¤¨,¨ &,£¤...#&¤ ..,..&§#,. ..£@£,¨&.¤ ¨,..,£,£@¨