&¤¤:~~-... ...-~~:¤¤&
#@@&¤§:~-. .-~:§¤&@@#
@&§:::~--. .--~:::§&@
#@@&¤§:~-. .-~:§¤&@@#
@@&§~~---. .---~~§&@@
@&&¤::-... . . . ...-::¤&&@
#@@&¤§:~-. . . . . . . .-~:§¤&@@#
&¤:-...... - - - - - - - - ......-:¤&
@@¤§§~.... ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ....~§§¤@@
&¤¤§:~.... :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: ....~:§¤¤&
#@@&¤§:~-. .-~:§¤&@@#
@@@&¤§:~-. 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. .-~:§¤¤¤@@
@¤:~-..... .....-~:¤@
#@@&¤§:~-. :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: .-~:§¤&@@#
&¤§::-.... ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ....-::§¤&
@&§~...... - - - - - - - - ......~§&@
##@&¤§:~-. . . . . . . .-~:§¤&@##
##@@&§:~-. . . . .-~:§&@@##
##@&¤§:~-. .-~:§¤&@##
#@@&¤§:~-. .-~:§¤&@@#
&&¤§~--... ...--~§¤&&
@&¤§§::~-. .-~::§§¤&@
#@@&¤§:~-. .-~:§¤&@@#