@%^»^..... .....^»^%@
@@@&^^.... ....^^&@@@
##@@&%^»^. .^»^%&@@##
###@&%^»^. .^»^%&@###
@%^»^..... .....^»^%@
#@%»...... . . . ......»%@#
####&%^»^. . . . . . . .^»^%&####
###@&%^»^. ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ .^»^%&@###
@%»»...... » » » » » » » » » » » ......»»%@
###@&%^»^. ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ .^»^%&@###
#@@&%%^»^. .^»^%%&@@#
###@&%^»^. 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. .^»^%&@###
###@&%^»^. .^»^%&@###
###@&%^»^. ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ .^»^%&@###
####@&%^»^ » » » » » » » » » » » ^»^%&@####
##@&^^.... ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ....^^&@##
@@&%%».... . . . . . . ....»%%&@@
###@&%^»^. . . . .^»^%&@###
###@&%^»^. .^»^%&@###
@%»....... .......»%@
###@&%^»^. .^»^%&@###
###@&%^»^. .^»^%&@###
###@&%^»^. .^»^%&@###