#@@&%=;~,. .,~;=%&@@#
@@@&%=;~,. .,~;=%&@@@
&%;,,,,... ...,,,,;%&
@&&=;~,... ...,~;=&&@
&&=;;,.... ....,;;=&&
@%==;,.... . . . ....,;==%@
##@@&=;~,. . . . . . . .,~;=&@@##
@@%%%=;~,. , , , , , , , , .,~;=%%%@@
##@&%=;~,. ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ .,~;=%&@##
##@@%=;~,. ;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;; .,~;=%@@##
@@&&%=;~,. .,~;=%&&@@
@@&==;,... just off the coast to the baltic sea ...,;==&@@
@&&&%=;~,. there's a freshwater pond, secluded .,~;=%&&&@
@@@&%=;~,. among ashen and juniper. a cleft in the .,~;=%&@@@
@%%===;~,. limestone bedrock, sharp-cut from the .,~;===%%@
@%;,...... surrounding plains, a ninety degree ......,;%@
&&=;,..... drop down, down, to the midnight-black .....,;=&&
#@@&%=;~,. water. .,~;=%&@@#
#@@&%=;~,. .,~;=%&@@#
#@@&%=;~,. ~~~~========~~~~ .,~;=%&@@#
&%;;;;;~,. ~~== ==~~ .,~;;;;;%&
#@@&%=;~,. ~~~~~== fairies live here. ==~~~~~ .,~;=%&@@#
&=~~...... ~~== ==~~ ......~~=&
#@@&%=;~,. ~~~~========~~~~ .,~;=%&@@#
@@@&%=;~,. .,~;=%&@@@
@@@&%=;~,. they speak to the sloane, caress it, .,~;=%&@@@
#@@&%=;~,. urge it to grow thicker, tangled, with .,~;=%&@@#
@@%%;,.... longer and sharper thorns. they tell it ....,;%%@@
#@@&%=;~,. to stay just below the grass, so that .,~;=%&@@#
@@%%=~.... the animals what come to drink the ....~=%%@@
@@@&%=;~,. water cannot see it before it draws .,~;=%&@@@
@@@&%=;~,. their blood. closer to the pond, the .,~;=%&@@@
#@@&%=;~,. sloane can grow taller, being able to .,~;=%&@@#
@%=;~..... hide also in the juniper. .....~;=%@
&&%==~.... ....~==%&&
@&&&%=;~,. the fairies will beckon the animals to .,~;=%&&&@
@@&%%=;~,. push forward, tell them that they're .,~;=%%&@@
&==;,..... almost at the water, that they may .....,;==&
@@&=;;;~,. drink soon. and they will tug on the .,~;;;=&@@
@&%=~..... sloane to make sure that the thorns cut .....~=%&@
&%%=~,.... deep. when they finally find the path ....,~=%%&
##@&%=;~,. down between the rocks, away from the .,~;=%&@##
#@@&%=;~,. bushwork and into the cleft, they are .,~;=%&@@#
@@@&%=;~,. bleeding from a thousand wounds. as .,~;=%&@@@
#@@&%=;~,. they drink from the dark water, it is .,~;=%&@@#
@&%%;,.... in turn drinking the animals blood. ....,;%%&@
@&%;,..... .....,;%&@
@@@&%=;~,. the circle is complete, the contract .,~;=%&@@@
&=~~,..... carried out; the animal is abandoned to .....,~~=&
#@@&%=;~,. find its own way back. the bushes roots .,~;=%&@@#
@@@&%=;~,. drink the nutrutious water. the fairies .,~;=%&@@@
##@&%=;~,. dance in the sunbeams. .,~;=%&@##
&&=;~~,... ...,~~;=&&
##@&%=;~,. ;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;; .,~;=%&@##
@@%;~..... ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ .....~;%@@
@%=~...... , , , , , , , , ......~=%@
#@@&%=;~,. . . . . . . .,~;=%&@@#
&&=~...... . . . ......~=&&
##@&%=;~,. .,~;=%&@##
@%;~,..... .....,~;%@
#@@&%=;~,. .,~;=%&@@#
@&&&%=;~,. .,~;=%&&&@
#@@&%=;~,. .,~;=%&@@#