..«==$@### ###@$==«..
...«==$@## ##@$==«...
....«==$@# #@$==«....
...«==$@## ##@$==«...
..«==$@### ###@$==«..
...«==$@## . . . ##@$==«...
....«==$@# . . . . . . #@$==«....
...«==$@## . . . . . . . . ##@$==«...
..«==$@### « « « « « « « « « « « ###@$==«..
...«==$@## ======================================== ##@$==«...
....«==$@# #@$==«....
...«==$@## just off the coast to the baltic sea ##@$==«...
..«==$@### there's a freshwater pond, secluded ###@$==«..
...«==$@## among ashen and juniper. a cleft in the ##@$==«...
....«==$@# limestone bedrock, sharp-cut from the #@$==«....
...«==$@## surrounding plains, a ninety degree ##@$==«...
..«==$@### drop down, down, to the midnight-black ###@$==«..
...«==$@## water. ##@$==«...
....«==$@# #@$==«....
...«==$@## ««««========«««« ##@$==«...
..«==$@### ««== ==«« ###@$==«..
...«==$@## «««««== fairies live here. ==««««« ##@$==«...
....«==$@# ««== ==«« #@$==«....
...«==$@## ««««========«««« ##@$==«...
..«==$@### ###@$==«..
...«==$@## they speak to the sloane, caress it, ##@$==«...
....«==$@# urge it to grow thicker, tangled, with #@$==«....
...«==$@## longer and sharper thorns. they tell it ##@$==«...
..«==$@### to stay just below the grass, so that ###@$==«..
...«==$@## the animals what come to drink the ##@$==«...
....«==$@# water cannot see it before it draws #@$==«....
...«==$@## their blood. closer to the pond, the ##@$==«...
..«==$@### sloane can grow taller, being able to ###@$==«..
...«==$@## hide also in the juniper. ##@$==«...
....«==$@# #@$==«....
...«==$@## the fairies will beckon the animals to ##@$==«...
..«==$@### push forward, tell them that they're ###@$==«..
...«==$@## almost at the water, that they may ##@$==«...
....«==$@# drink soon. and they will tug on the #@$==«....
...«==$@## sloane to make sure that the thorns cut ##@$==«...
..«==$@### deep. when they finally find the path ###@$==«..
...«==$@## down between the rocks, away from the ##@$==«...
....«==$@# bushwork and into the cleft, they are #@$==«....
...«==$@## bleeding from a thousand wounds. as ##@$==«...
..«==$@### they drink from the dark water, it is ###@$==«..
...«==$@## in turn drinking the animals blood. ##@$==«...
....«==$@# #@$==«....
...«==$@## the circle is complete, the contract ##@$==«...
..«==$@### carried out; the animal is abandoned to ###@$==«..
...«==$@## find its own way back. the bushes roots ##@$==«...
....«==$@# drink the nutrutious water. the fairies #@$==«....
...«==$@## dance in the sunbeams. ##@$==«...
..«==$@### ###@$==«..
...«==$@## ======================================== ##@$==«...
....«==$@# « « « « « « « « « « « #@$==«....
...«==$@## . . . . . . . . ##@$==«...
..«==$@### . . . . . . ###@$==«..
...«==$@## . . . ##@$==«...
....«==$@# #@$==«....
...«==$@## ##@$==«...
..«==$@### ###@$==«..
...«==$@## ##@$==«...
....«==$@# #@$==«....