,,,,,--\%# #%\--,,,,,
,,,,,--\%# #%\--,,,,,
,,-~~\^### ###^\~~-,,
,-~\^##### #####^\~-,
,,,,-\\\%# #%\\\-,,,,
,,,,,-~\%# , , , #%\~-,,,,,
,-~\^%#### , , , , , , ####%^\~-,
,,,~\\%%%# - - - - - - - - #%%%\\~,,,
,-~\^%#### ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ####%^\~-,
,-\^%##### \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ #####%^\-,
,,,,-\^%%# #%%^\-,,,,
,-~\^%#### 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. #^~~-,,,,,
,,,,,-~^## ##^~-,,,,,
,-~\^%#### \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ ####%^\~-,
,-~\^^%%%# ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ #%%%^^\~-,
,-~\^%#### - - - - - - - - ####%^\~-,
,-~\^%#### , , , , , , ####%^\~-,
,-~\^##### , , , #####^\~-,
,-~\^%#### ####%^\~-,
,,,,,,-\^# #^\-,,,,,,
,-~\^%#### ####%^\~-,
,,,,,,~^%# #%^~,,,,,,
,-~\^%#### ####%^\~-,