####$$^~.. ..~^$$####
###&$$^~.. ..~^$$&###
###&$$^~.. ..~^$$&###
###&$$^~.. ..~^$$&###
###&$$^~.. ..~^$$&###
&$$~...... . . . ......~$$&
&$$$~..... . . . . . . .....~$$$&
###&$$^~.. . . . . . . . . ..~^$$&###
&&$$$~.... ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ....~$$$&&
#$^^^~.... ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ ....~^^^$#
####&$$^.. ..^$$&####
#&$^~..... just off the coast to the baltic sea .....~^$&#
###&$$^~.. there's a freshwater pond, secluded ..~^$$&###
###&$$^~.. among ashen and juniper. a cleft in the ..~^$$&###
###&$$^~.. limestone bedrock, sharp-cut from the ..~^$$&###
###&$$^~.. surrounding plains, a ninety degree ..~^$$&###
###&$$^~.. drop down, down, to the midnight-black ..~^$$&###
###&$$^~.. water. ..~^$$&###
#$^....... .......^$#
###&$$^~.. ~~~~$$$$$$$$~~~~ ..~^$$&###
###&$$^~.. ~~$$ $$~~ ..~^$$&###
###&$$^~.. ~~~~~$$ 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 ....~$$$&#
&&$^~..... drink the nutrutious water. the fairies .....~^$&&
##$$$$^~.. dance in the sunbeams. ..~^$$$$##
##&&$$^~.. ..~^$$&&##
###&$$^~.. ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ ..~^$$&###
###&$$^~.. ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ..~^$$&###
###&$$^~.. . . . . . . . . ..~^$$&###
#&$$~..... . . . . . . .....~$$&#
###&$$^~.. . . . ..~^$$&###
###&$$^~.. ..~^$$&###
#$$^~..... .....~^$$#
###&$$^~.. ..~^$$&###
###&$$^~.. ..~^$$&###
###&$$^~.. ..~^$$&###