......&&&. ...&......
&&&&&..&.. &&...&&&&&
&&&&...... &..&..&&&&
&&&..&&&&& .......&&&
&&....&&&. .&&&&&..&&
&..&&..&.. . . . ..&&&....&
.......... . . . . . . ...&..&&..
&&&&&&&&&& - - - - - - - - &&.......&
&&&&&&&&&& » » » » » » » » » » » &..&&&&&..
.&&&&&&&&& ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ ....&&&...
..&&&&&&&& .&&..&..&&
...&&&&&&& 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. ..&&....&&
&&&&..&&.. &....&&..&
&&&....... ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ ..&&......
.&..&&&&&& » » » » » » » » » » » &....&&&&.
.....&&&&. - - - - - - - - ..&&..&&..
&&&&..&&.. . . . . . . .........&
&&&....... . . . &&&&&&&&..
.&..&&&&&& .&&&&&&...
.....&&&&. ..&&&&..&&
.&&&..&&.. &..&&.....
..&....... ......&&&&
....&&&&&& &&&&&..&&.