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