#££%~^.... ....^~%££#
##@£%%^~^. .^~^%%£@##
@%%%^^^... ...^^^%%%@
@@%%^^~~^. .^~~^^%%@@
£%^^~..... .....~^^%£
##@£%%^~^. . . . .^~^%%£@##
@%%^^..... . . . . . . .....^^%%@
##@£%%^~^. ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ .^~^%%£@##
##@£%%^~^. ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ .^~^%%£@##
##@£%%^~^. ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ .^~^%%£@##
##@£%%^~^. .^~^%%£@##
££££%%^~^. 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. .^~^%£@###
##@£%%^~^. .^~^%%£@##
##@£%%^~^. ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ .^~^%%£@##
##@£%%^~^. ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ .^~^%%£@##
#££%%~^^.. ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ..^^~%%££#
##@£%%^~^. . . . . . . .^~^%%£@##
@@%%%^~... . . . ...~^%%%@@
#@££%%^~^. .^~^%%££@#
##@£%%^~^. .^~^%%£@##
£%^^^..... .....^^^%£
@£%^~..... .....~^%£@
##@£%%^~^. .^~^%%£@##