¨-~*$$&¶@# #@¶&$$*~-¨
¨-~*$$&¶@# #@¶&$$*~-¨
¨-~*$$&¶@# #@¶&$$*~-¨
¨¨¨¨¨--*$¶ ¶$*--¨¨¨¨¨
¨-~*$$&¶¶@ @¶¶&$$*~-¨
¨-~*$$&&&& ¨ ¨ ¨ &&&&$$*~-¨
¨¨¨---~$$¶ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¶$$~---¨¨¨
¨¨¨~~**$&¶ - - - - - - - - ¶&$**~~¨¨¨
¨-~*$$&¶@# ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ #@¶&$$*~-¨
¨-~*$$&¶## **************************************** ##¶&$$*~-¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨~$$& &$$~¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨-~**$$&& just off the coast to the baltic sea &&$$**~-¨¨
¨-~*$$&¶@# there's a freshwater pond, secluded #@¶&$$*~-¨
¨-~*$$&@## among ashen and juniper. a cleft in the ##@&$$*~-¨
¨¨¨¨--*$&@ limestone bedrock, sharp-cut from the @&$*--¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨~$&@ surrounding plains, a ninety degree @&$~¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨--~$$&¶ drop down, down, to the midnight-black ¶&$$~--¨¨¨
¨¨¨-~~*$$¶ water. ¶$$*~~-¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨-*$$&@ @&$$*-¨¨¨¨
¨¨-~*$$$$¶ ~~~~$$$$$$$$~~~~ ¶$$$$*~-¨¨
¨¨¨-****$¶ ~~$$ $$~~ ¶$****-¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨~~$$& ~~~~~$$ fairies live here. $$~~~~~ &$$~~¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨-**$&¶ ~~$$ $$~~ ¶&$**-¨¨¨¨
¨-~*$$&¶@# ~~~~$$$$$$$$~~~~ #@¶&$$*~-¨
¨¨¨¨-~~$$& &$$~~-¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨--~*$&& they speak to the sloane, caress it, &&$*~--¨¨¨
¨-~*$$$&&¶ urge it to grow thicker, tangled, with ¶&&$$$*~-¨
¨-~*$$&¶@# longer and sharper thorns. they tell it #@¶&$$*~-¨
¨¨---~$$¶¶ to stay just below the grass, so that ¶¶$$~---¨¨
¨-~**$$$$¶ the animals what come to drink the ¶$$$$**~-¨
¨-~*$$&¶## 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. ¶$$**--¨¨¨
¨¨¨~~*$$$¶ ¶$$$*~~¨¨¨
¨-~*$$¶@## **************************************** ##@¶$$*~-¨
¨-*$$&¶@## ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ##@¶&$$*-¨
¨-~*$$$$$¶ - - - - - - - - ¶$$$$$*~-¨
¨¨¨¨-*$$$& ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ &$$$*-¨¨¨¨
¨¨--~*$$&@ ¨ ¨ ¨ @&$$*~--¨¨
¨-~*$$&¶## ##¶&$$*~-¨
¨-~*$$&¶@@ @@¶&$$*~-¨
¨-~*$$&¶@# #@¶&$$*~-¨
¨¨¨--*$$&¶ ¶&$$*--¨¨¨
¨-~*$$&¶@# #@¶&$$*~-¨