####&$:=^. .^=:$&####
###&$%:=^. .^=:%$&###
###&$%:=^. .^=:%$&###
&&&%::^... ...^::%&&&
###&$%:=^. .^=:%$&###
###&$%:=^. . . . .^=:%$&###
###&$%:=^. . . . . . . .^=:%$&###
###&$%:=^. ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ .^=:%$&###
###&$%:=^. = = = = = = = = = = = .^=:%$&###
&%:^...... :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: ......^:%&
##$:::^... ...^:::$##
###&$%:=^. just off the coast to the baltic sea .^=:%$&###
#$$%====^. there's a freshwater pond, secluded .^====%$$#
###&$%:=^. among ashen and juniper. a cleft in the .^=:%$&###
&%==^..... 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 ....^^=:%&
####$%:=^. water cannot see it before it draws .^=:%$####
&&$%=^.... their blood. closer to the pond, the ....^=%$&&
#$%::=^^.. sloane can grow taller, being able to ..^^=::%$#
&$%=^..... hide also in the juniper. .....^=%$&
###&$%:=^. .^=:%$&###
###&$%:=^. the fairies will beckon the animals to .^=:%$&###
&&$:=^.... push forward, tell them that they're ....^=:$&&
&$::=^.... almost at the water, that they may ....^=::$&
###&$%:=^. drink soon. and they will tug on the .^=:%$&###
###&$%:=^. sloane to make sure that the thorns cut .^=:%$&###
###&$%:=^. deep. when they finally find the path .^=:%$&###
###&$%:=^. down between the rocks, away from the .^=:%$&###
##$:^^^... bushwork and into the cleft, they are ...^^^:$##
#$$$:=.... bleeding from a thousand wounds. as ....=:$$$#
&&&&$%:=^. they drink from the dark water, it is .^=:%$&&&&
&&$%%%:=^. in turn drinking the animals blood. .^=:%%%$&&
#$%===.... ....===%$#
###&$%:=^. the circle is complete, the contract .^=:%$&###
###&$%:=^. carried out; the animal is abandoned to .^=:%$&###
###&$%:=^. find its own way back. the bushes roots .^=:%$&###
###&$%:=^. drink the nutrutious water. the fairies .^=:%$&###
&&$%%=^... dance in the sunbeams. ...^=%%$&&
###&$%:=^. .^=:%$&###
###&$%:=^. :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: .^=:%$&###
#&%%==^... = = = = = = = = = = = ...^==%%&#
&$:=...... ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ......=:$&
###&$%:=^. . . . . . . .^=:%$&###
#&%:^..... . . . .....^:%&#
##&$:==... ...==:$&##
##&&$%:=^. .^=:%$&&##
##$::^^^.. ..^^^::$##
##&$:^.... ....^:$&##
#&%=^^.... ....^^=%&#