~^........ ........^~
^~^....... .......^~^
%^~^...... ......^~^%
*%^~^..... .....^~^%*
@*%^~^.... ....^~^%*@
#@*%^~^... . . . ...^~^%*@#
@#@*%^~^.. . . . . . . ..^~^%*@#@
#@#@*%^~^. ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ .^~^%*@#@#
@#@*%^~^.. ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ..^~^%*@#@
#@*%^~^... ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ ...^~^%*@#
@*%^~^.... ....^~^%*@
*%^~^..... 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. .....^~^%*
%^~^...... ......^~^%
^~^....... ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ .......^~^
~^........ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ........^~
^......... ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ .........^
.......... . . . . . . ..........
.......... . . . ..........
.......... ..........
^......... .........^
~^........ ........^~
^~^....... .......^~^
%^~^...... ......^~^%