=†-^,.,.,. .,.,.,^-†= ^».¨...¨,¨ ¨,¨...¨.»^ ~-,¨..,.,. .,.,..¨,-~ ~,.,..,,¨. .¨,,..,.,~ ,.¨,.¨,,., ,.,,¨.,¨., ¨..,.,.,.. 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. ...¨,,¨¨-~ ^¨.¨.¨,... ...,¨.¨.¨^ ..,,,,¨,,. .,,¨,,,,.. ¨,¨.¨¨.,¨. .¨,.¨¨.¨,¨ ¨,¨,¨.,,.¨ ¨.,,.¨,¨,¨ ~¨¨¨.,,¨,, ,,¨,,.¨¨¨~ =:,¨¨.,.,¨ ¨,.,.¨¨,:=