¶@%\«^.... ....^«\%@¶
@%\«^..... .....^«\%@
%\«^...... ......^«\%
\«^....... .......^«\
«^........ ........^«
^......... . . . .........^
.......... . . . . . . ..........
.......... ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ..........
.......... « « « « « « « « « « « ..........
^......... \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ .........^
«^........ ........^«
\«^....... 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. .......^«\
%\«^...... ......^«\%
@%\«^..... \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ .....^«\%@
¶@%\«^.... « « « « « « « « « « « ....^«\%@¶
#¶@%\«^... ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ...^«\%@¶#
##¶@%\«^.. . . . . . . ..^«\%@¶##
###¶@%\«^. . . . .^«\%@¶###
##¶@%\«^.. ..^«\%@¶##
#¶@%\«^... ...^«\%@¶#
¶@%\«^.... ....^«\%@¶
@%\«^..... .....^«\%@
%\«^...... ......^«\%