,,,,«:*# ##&*:«,,,,
,,,,,«:* #&*:«,,,,,
,,,,«:*# ##&*:«,,,,
,,,«:*## ###&*:«,,,
,,«:*### ####&*:«,,
,,,«:*## , , , ###&*:«,,,
,,,,«:*# , , , , , , ##&*:«,,,,
,,,,,«:* , , , , , , , , #&*:«,,,,,
,,,,«:*# « « « « « « « « « « « ##&*:«,,,,
,,,«:*## :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: ###&*:«,,,
,,«:*### ####&*:«,,
,,,«:*## 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. ###&*:«,,,
,,«:*### ####&*:«,,
,,,«:*## :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: ###&*:«,,,
,,,,«:*# « « « « « « « « « « « ##&*:«,,,,
,,,,,«:* , , , , , , , , #&*:«,,,,,
,,,,«:*# , , , , , , ##&*:«,,,,
,,,«:*## , , , ###&*:«,,,
,,«:*### ####&*:«,,
,,,«:*## ###&*:«,,,
,,,,«:*# ##&*:«,,,,
,,,,,«:* #&*:«,,,,,
,,,,«:*# ##&*:«,,,,