......,«;^ ^;«,......
.....,«;^@ @^;«,.....
....,«;^@# #@^;«,....
...,«;^@## ##@^;«,...
..,«;^@### ###@^;«,..
.,«;^@#### . . . ####@^;«,.
..,«;^@### . . . . . . ###@^;«,..
...,«;^@## , , , , , , , , ##@^;«,...
....,«;^@# « « « « « « « « « « « #@^;«,....
.....,«;^@ ;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;; @^;«,.....
......,«;^ ^;«,......
.......,«; 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. @^;«,.....
......,«;^ ^;«,......
.......,«; ;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;; ;«,.......
........,« « « « « « « « « « « « «,........
.......,«; , , , , , , , , ;«,.......
......,«;^ . . . . . . ^;«,......
.....,«;^@ . . . @^;«,.....
....,«;^@# #@^;«,....
...,«;^@## ##@^;«,...
..,«;^@### ###@^;«,..
.,«;^@#### ####@^;«,.
..,«;^@### ###@^;«,..