,,^~::**%& &%**::~^,,
,,,,^~*%%& &%%*~^,,,,
,^~:*%&### ###&%*:~^,
,^~:*%&### ###&%*:~^,
,^~:*%&### ###&%*:~^,
,,,^~~:*&# , , , #&*:~~^,,,
,^~:*%&&&# , , , , , , #&&&%*:~^,
,^~~~**%%& ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ &%%**~~~^,
,^~:*%&### ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ###&%*:~^,
,^~:*%&### :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: ###&%*:~^,
,^~:*%#### ####%*:~^,
,^~*%&#### 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. ###&%*:~^,
,^~:*%%%%& &%%%%*:~^,
,^~:*%&### :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: ###&%*:~^,
,,,,,~~:%# ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ #%:~~,,,,,
,,,,,,~*&& ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ &&*~,,,,,,
,^~:*%&### , , , , , , ###&%*:~^,
,,,,^:*%## , , , ##%*:^,,,,
,^~:*%&### ###&%*:~^,
^~:*%&#### ####&%*:~^
,^~:*%&### ###&%*:~^,
,,,,~~*%%& &%%*~~,,,,
,^~:*%&### ###&%*:~^,