,--«::*@## ##@*::«--,
,-«:$@#### ####@$:«-,
,-«:*$@### ###@$*:«-,
,-«:*$@### ###@$*:«-,
,,,,,,«*@@ @@*«,,,,,,
,-«:*$@### , , , ###@$*:«-,
,-«:*$#### , , , , , , ####$*:«-,
,,,,,«:**@ - - - - - - - - @**:«,,,,,
,,,-«**$$@ « « « « « « « « « « « @$$**«-,,,
,,,,,-:*$# :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: #$*:-,,,,,
,-«:*$@@## ##@@$*:«-,
,-«:*$@### just off the coast to the baltic sea ###@$*:«-,
,-«:*$@### there's a freshwater pond, secluded ###@$*:«-,
,,,,,,«:$@ among ashen and juniper. a cleft in the @$:«,,,,,,
,,,«:::*@# 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 @@*:«,,,,,
,-«:*$@### carried out; the animal is abandoned to ###@$*:«-,
,,,,««:$@# find its own way back. the bushes roots #@$:««,,,,
,,,,-«:$## drink the nutrutious water. the fairies ##$:«-,,,,
,-«:**$@@# dance in the sunbeams. #@@$**:«-,
,-«:*$@### ###@$*:«-,
,-«:*$@@@@ :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: @@@@$*:«-,
,-«:*$@### « « « « « « « « « « « ###@$*:«-,
,,,,,-«*$# - - - - - - - - #$*«-,,,,,
,-«:*$@### , , , , , , ###@$*:«-,
,---:***$# , , , #$***:---,
,,,,--«**@ @**«--,,,,
,-«:*$@### ###@$*:«-,
,-«:*$@### ###@$*:«-,
,-«:*$@### ###@$*:«-,
,,,-«:*$@# #@$*:«-,,,