&%**-¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨-**%&
@@@&%%*=-¨ ¨-=*%%&@@@
#@@&%%*=-¨ ¨-=*%%&@@#
#@@&%%*=-¨ ¨-=*%%&@@#
@@@&%%*=-¨ ¨-=*%%&@@@
@@@&%%*=-¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨-=*%%&@@@
@@@&%%*=-¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨-=*%%&@@@
&%=-¨¨¨¨¨¨ - - - - - - - - ¨¨¨¨¨¨-=%&
##@&%%*=-¨ = = = = = = = = = = = ¨-=*%%&@##
#@@&%%*=-¨ **************************************** ¨-=*%%&@@#
@@&%=--¨¨¨ ¨¨¨--=%&@@
&&%*=-¨¨¨¨ 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. ¨-=*%%%%%@
#@@&%%*=-¨ ¨-=*%%&@@#
@&&%%==--¨ **************************************** ¨--==%%&&@
@%*-¨¨¨¨¨¨ = = = = = = = = = = = ¨¨¨¨¨¨-*%@
&%=¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ - - - - - - - - ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨=%&
@&&%%%*=-¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨-=*%%%&&@
@@%%%*=¨¨¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨¨¨=*%%%@@
@&%%=-¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨-=%%&@
@&&&%%*=-¨ ¨-=*%%&&&@
#@@&%%*=-¨ ¨-=*%%&@@#
#@@&%%*=-¨ ¨-=*%%&@@#
@&&%*==¨¨¨ ¨¨¨==*%&&@