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