,-~/*%§###                                          ###§%*/~-,
,,,,,-/*§§                                          §§*/-,,,,,
,,--~~**§#                                          #§**~~--,,
,-~/*%§###                                          ###§%*/~-,
,,,,-//%##                                          ##%//-,,,,
,-~/*%§### ,                  ,                   , ###§%*/~-,
,-~/*%%%## ,       ,       ,      ,       ,       , ##%%%*/~-,
,-~/*%§### -     -    -     -     -     -    -    - ###§%*/~-,
,-~/%§#### ~   ~   ~  ~   ~   ~   ~   ~   ~   ~   ~ ####§%/~-,
,-~/*%§### //////////////////////////////////////// ###§%*/~-,
,-~/*%§§##                                          ##§§%*/~-,
,,,,--//%# 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.          ####§*/~-,
,,,,,,~*§§                                          §§*~,,,,,,
,,,-~/**%# //////////////////////////////////////// #%**/~-,,,
,-~/*%§### ~   ~   ~   ~   ~   ~   ~   ~  ~   ~   ~ ###§%*/~-,
,-~/*%§### -    -    -     -     -     -    -     - ###§%*/~-,
,-~/*%%%%# ,       ,       ,       ,      ,       , #%%%%*/~-,
,-~~/*%%## ,                  ,                   , ##%%*/~~-,
,-~/*%####                                          ####%*/~-,
,-~/*%§###                                          ###§%*/~-,
,,,,-/%§##                                          ##§%/-,,,,
,-~/*%§###                                          ###§%*/~-,
,,,,,-/%§#                                          #§%/-,,,,,